Davao Del Norte maps out sports dev't plan

TAGUM CITY, Davao Del Norte (MindaNews / April 4) – The opening rites
of the first-ever Davao Del Norte Sports Summit on Thursday prepared the red
carpet for the provincial government's journey towards making the province as
the region's sports capital.



Addressing the opening rites of the two-day sports summit at the
Bulwagan ng Lalawigan here, Gov. Rodolfo Del Rosario said he believed that the
summit and the "redevelopment" of the provincial sports complex "would make
the biggest banana exporting province as the region's sports hub".



"(Davao del Norte) is the region's sports capital in the making," said
Del Rosario. " The possibilities are boundless and this is where it all
begins," He added.



The summit was graced by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman
William "Butch" Ramirez.



Del Rosario said "this is the beginning of the comprehensive genuine
sports development program of the province".



Former Vice Governor Anthony Del Rosario, the governor's son and
currently the provincial sports chief, said that "with the active participation
of all the provincial sports stakeholders, the province will have a genuine
sports development program that focus on sport disciplines where local
athletes have good chances in excelling".



"With your active participation and through this sports summit we can
map out a genuine strategic plan for sports development," the younger Del
Rosario told the summit that was attended also by barangay captains,
chairpersons of the Sangguniang Kabataan chapters and private sports
groups.



"This is the kind of program that needs to be sustained. We really need
to
set direction for our sports development programs," said Danny
Sumalinog, a
sports summit participant from Island Garden City of Samal.



Ramirez said that the completion of its sports complex in 2010, the
province
"perhaps, could be the regional training center in the south".



"We will no longer go to Manila, we will just train here. This is the
better
place to live, away from pollution, and work for the future champions
of the
country," said Ramirez.



The Davao Del Norte sports complex project was also unveiled during the
summit.







Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao Del Norte unanimously
approved in special session on Wednesday the resolution authorizing the
provincial government to enter into a loan agreement with Land Bank of
the
Philippines.



"We have approved the authority to borrow P500 million, and the P250
million
of that will be used for the sports complex," Vice Governor Victorio
Suaybaguio, Jr., said.



The construction of the proposed P250-million sports complex will start
soon, according to the provincial engineers office.



The 15-hectare sports complex will rise in Barangay Mankilam across the
province's Government Center, where the old sports complex once stood
until
it was razed by fire in March 2003.



The complex would have a total of 49 spans of concrete bleachers, a
rehabilitated and upgraded Olympic-sized swimming pool, a modern oval
track
with rubberized track materials and synthetic foot soccer field.



"The swimming pool and track oval will have eight lanes," said
provincial
engineer Josie Jean Rabanoz.



The complex would also have a parking area that could accommodate more
than
300cars.  (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)