PSA accredits Baguio as regional sports center

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY  – The Philippine Sports Commission announced Baguio City will become one of the sports body’s accredited regional sports training center following the city’s successful hosting of the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championships from Sept. 17-21.

Commissioner Celia Kiram revealed to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan the decision of the PSC to make the city one of its accredited regional sports training centers because of its suitability as venue for the conduct of high altitude training of the country’s athletes.

Kiram said the identification of Baguio City as one of the PSC’s regional sports training centers was one of the reasons why the sports body decided to leave behind Baguio and Benguet over P18 million worth of sports equipment to be used by the local government and the PSC for the implementation of an enhanced sports development program that will upgrade the state of sports in the city.

Aside from the P18 million worth of sports equipment, the PSC also left behind at least 2,500 sleeping mats for Baguio and Benguet, including for the victims of the Itogon landslide and the billeting schools. 1,000 sleeping mats will be left for Baguio City while the remaining mats will be equitably distributed among Benguet, the Benguet State University (BSU), the identified billeting areas and the victims of the tragic Itogon landslide.

Commissioner Kiram expressed optimism that the units of sports equipment left behind will be used by the local government and the different schools to improve their grassroots development program to discover young athletes who can be trained as future representatives of the city in local, regional, national and international sports competitions.

Domogan directed the City General Services Office and City Sports Development Office to inventory the sports equipment left behind by the PSC for proper documentation and safekeeping to ensure athletes will benefit from the use of the said equipment in their trainings and upcoming participation in various sports competitions.

 He expressed the local government’s gratitude to the PSC for making Baguio City and Benguet as venue for the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championships, the identification of the city as a regional sports training center and the donation of the multi-million sports equipment that will greatly contribute in efforts to make the city one of the sports development centers in the country.