We plan to give these facilities, not just to the elite athletes, but to all athletes.

WORKERS rush the construction of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. ROMAN PROSPERO

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez said the ongoing renovations at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) is part of their grand plan to give the national athletes a state of the art facilities.

With a month left before the opening of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that the country is hosting from 30 November to 11 December, Ramirez is confident that the venues will be available for the 11-nation conclave.

And the refurbishing of government sports facilities being managed by the PSC will continue even after the biennial meet.

“We plan to give these facilities, not just to the elite athletes, but to all athletes. That’s the very reason why we didn’t leave Rizal Sports Complex because we feel the athletes here in Manila deserve this,” said Ramirez as he gave the media a tour of the venues being refurbished inside the 10-hectare sports complex.

“Sports is a strong unifier, a strong equalizer for the country’s many problems. I hope we’ll perform the miracle of 2005 again.”

The RMSC is undergoing a major renovation for the first time since 1953 when the country hosted the Far East Games the following year.

With the country now in charge of the hosting of the SEA Games, the PSC offered to the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) some of the venues in the RMSC.

Already identified as SEA Games venues are Rizal Memorial Coliseum (RMC) for gymnastics, Ninoy Aquino Stadium for weightlifting and taekwondo, Rizal Tennis Court for lawn and soft tennis and the Rizal Memorial Football Field for men’s football.

Squash was supposed to be played inside the RMSC, but according to sports commissioner Celia Kiram, the building being constructed won’t meet the deadline and the squash association is now looking at the Manila Polo Club as its venue.

Ramirez said the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation has donated P842 million for the renovations and the sports agency has also allocated P1 billion to continue upgrading the sports facilities in the country.

“When we assumed office, our own master plan as what President Duterte instructed us is to bring sports to the communities — sports for all. We’re not only strengthening our elite programs but also our facilities,” Ramirez said.

“By January next year, we will refurbish the dorms in Philsports because we want our facilities to look at par with the international standard. And that’s the legacy the Duterte administration wants to leave to the athletes.”

According to the project’s chief architect, Gerard Lico, the total cost of renovation is P250 million and they are targeting to finish the project by 12 November, one day before the athletes’ pep rally for the SEA Games.

“It’s 85 percent complete. This building is a cultural treasure that’s why we’re very careful of the restoration because it’s an art deco and the last time it was rehabilitated was in 1953,” Lico said.

“We want to return its to its original aesthetics. But of course we also want to elevate the experience of the public that’s why we are adding air-conditioning system and we also invested on the lighting.”