DEPUTY House Speaker Mikee Romero expressed delight over the donation of a land where the proposed state-of-the-art Philippine Sports Training Center (PSTC) will be constructed.
The PSTC will become the official home of Filipino athletes—aspiring and elite.
“Being one of the authors of the law that created the establishment of a modern sports complex, I am honored that our athletes will soon have a place where they can further polish their talents,” Romero said. “It will be their future home away from home.”
The 1Pacman Partylist representative also lauded the provincial government of Bataan for donating six lots with a total area of 250 hectares in the municipality of Bagac—around three hours from Manila.
Romero said Bagac is rich in agricultural and aquatic resources which are essential in providing nutrients during the training of the national team pool members.
“Because of its natural wonders, Bagac is a perfect training ground and it’s away from the madding crowd in the metropolis,” he said.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez formally received the deed of donation from Bataan Governor Albert Raymond “Abet” Garcia last week.
Romero, who owns the NorthPort team in the Philippine Basketball Association and one of the founding directors of the Philippine National Federation of Polo Players, said the establishment of the PSTC is a landmark sports project under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“It’s a dream come true for our national athletes because in three to four years they will have a state-of-the-art facility that is at par with some of the best in the world,” Romero said. “It can also play host to future international events. More than that, it can provide livelihood to local residents.”
The P3.5 billion sports complex will cater to athletes in archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, taekwondo, karate, judo, wrestling, dancesport, football, gymnastics, handball, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, shooting, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, wall climbing water polo and weightlifting.
Romero said giving PSC sufficient funding is also high on their sports agenda in Congress.
“The PSC should not only have sufficient funding but also powers to advance the welfare of national athletes through compensations and rewards,” he added.
It will also have amenities for administrative, sports science, medical, and dormitories for athletes and coaches.