By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
ADD Pinaco, Vietnam’s leading dry cell and storage battery brand, as one with the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year.
This, after the company signed a commitment of support with the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) to be a platinum sponsor of the regional biennial Games from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and the 10th ASEAN Para Games next year.
The agreement, brokered once again by sports media agency Mediapro Asia, was formally signed on Thursday at the Pavillion 3 of the Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City.
Present during the signing and the subsequent press conference were officials of PHISGOC, Pinaco and Mediapro.
“It is such a great honor and pride for Pinaco to be one of the official Platinum Partners of this great event in the hopes of contributing to the success of the Games, especially given that the 30th SEA Games is the largest sports event in the region,” said Tran Thanh Van, General Director of Pinaco.
Pinaco, maker of battery brands Eagle, Dongnai and JP, among others, is no longer stranger to sponsoring major sporting events and is leveraging the recently inked partnership with PHISGOC as an opportunity to expand its involvement in regional events, more so since the next SEA Games in 2021 will be held in Vietnam.
On the part of PHISGOC, the coming on board of Pinaco as a sponsor is a welcome development, and a huge boost seeing that not only local companies and groups are rallying behind what they want to accomplish with the Games.
“The overwhelming support of international brands boosts our efforts to facilitate our preparations and inspire us to work even harder every day,” said House Speaker and PHISGOC Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano in a statement.
Mr. Cayetano and PHISGOC were represented in the contract signing by PHISGOC Director of Support and Operations Jojit Alcazar.
Pinaco with the partnership joins a growing list of SEA Games sponsors which include Ajinomoto, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., MG Cars, Philippine Airlines, Skyworth, Mastercard and CooCaa.
Also part of the hosting are Milo, Pocari Sweat, North Luzon Expressway, Pinco and Razer, Asics, SM Lifestyle. Inc., BMW, Molten, Mikasa, Chinabank and PNB.
The 2019 SEA Games is touted to be the biggest to be staged in the Philippines, involving 11,000 athletes and officials from the 11 member nations, 9,000 volunteers, 530 events and 56 sports.
Forty-four venues have been short-listed for the event scattered in different parts of the country, including the world-class facilities at New Clark City in Tarlac.
The last time the country hosted the SEA Games was in 2005.
