POC’s Vargas stresses role of private sector in SEAG hosting success
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
FOR the country to hold a successful staging of the Southeast Asian Games later this year, the support of a whole community — and that includes the private sector — is needed. Thus, said, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Ricky Vargas.
Gracing the media launch of a new obstacle training course facility in Taguig City that would serve as cross-training venue for national athletes last week, the POC official also took time to share that with less than a year before SEA Games 2019 here in November they need the support of the private sector.
“We need everybody’s support. We need the private sector for no one sector can deliver it for us. We need to work as one community,” said Mr. Vargas when asked by BusinessWorld on the role that the private sector would play in the hosting of the SEA Games, happening from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in various parts of the country.
But Mr. Vargas said they recognize that for the private sector to come on board, it must see value in it, which is why they at the POC, along with other organizers, are making every effort to entice them in.
“One of the things that private sector groups are looking for is value for their investments. So we are looking at marketing values to bring them in,” said Mr. Vargas.
In line with that push, the POC met with the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) on Feb. 1 to hold presentations and discussions on marketing the Games and other related concerns.
Mr. Vargas also shared that involving the private sector would complement the recently released Executive Order of President Rodrigo R. Duterte urging all government agencies to help in the preparations for the SEA Games.
Combining them, Mr. Vargas said, would go a long way in ensuring that the 30th edition of the biennial regional sporting meet would be a good one even as he said there is still much work to be done.
“We still have a lot to do. We need to work fast than the current pace we are at. It’s already February. But the good thing is everybody is committed to do this, the POC, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC0 and PHISGOC. Everybody is talking and on the same page on a lot of things,” Mr. Vargas said.
In the 2019 SEA Games, there are 56 sporting events, to be held in four cluster areas, namely, Clark, Pampanga; Metro Manila; Subic, Zambales; and the Batangas, La Union and Tagaytay.
