The government on Thursday unveiled the biggest sports coliseum in the Bicol region that can accommodate at least 54,000 people. 

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero touted the unveiling of the Sorsogon Sports Arena, which he described as a “landmark that Sorsoganons and every Bicolano can be proud of.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. graced the ceremonial inauguration of the Bicol’s sports coliseum, which also coincided with the 130th anniversary of the province and 50th Kasanggayahan Festival celebrations.

“Kasya ang mahigit-kumulang na 54,000 na katao kung pupunuin pati ‘yung grounds ng arena. Ito ang pinakamalaking venue sa buong Bicol region at marahil nasa top 10 sa buong Pilipinas. This is something indeed to be proud of. Isa nanaman na dahilan para maipagmamalaki na tayo ay taga-Sorsogon,” Escudero said. 

The Senate President was the proponent of the Sorsogon Sports Arena project. The construction started when Escurdero was the then-chief executive of the province from 2019 to 2022. 

Inspired by the iconic Colosseum in Rome, Italy, the Sorsogon Sports Arena is situated within the 7.1-hectare area in the province, where the Department of Education (DepEd)-Sorsogon building and gymnasium are also located. 

According to Escudero, the sports arena was supposed to be used during the Palarong Pambansa in 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused unfortunate delays in its completion. 

With the opening of the sports arena, Escudero stressed that Sorsogon is now ready to host the Palarong Pambansa by 2027. 

The Sorsogon Sports Arena features modern amenities that can be used for major international competitions. It also has a 300-room dormitory that can accommodate a huge number of athletes, coaches, technical officials, and spectators. 

Escudero said he will seek the Philippine Sports Commission’s approval to make the facility a national sports training camp, noting that the Sorsogon Sports Complex has the geographical advantage of hosting such activities.

“Ngayon nasa Baguio, nasa norte. Malayo sa Visayas, malayo sa Mindanao. Sorsogon is in the Southernmost tip of Luzon, medyo nasa gitna. Dito lang kumpleto ang facilities at lahat ay pag-aari ng DepEd (As of now, it's in Baguio, it's in the north. It's far from Visayas and Mindanao. Sorsogon is in the Southernmost tip of Luzon, it's in the middle. Facilities here are complete and all of these are owned by DepEd), ” Escudero said.

“Ito ay isang proyekto na maipagmamalaki, hindi lamang ng mga Sorsoganon, hindi lamang ng mga Bicolano, kundi ng lahat ng Pilipino. Nagpapasalamat tayo kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa kanyang patuloy na suporta sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon at sa kabuuang rehiyon ng Bicol,” he added. 

In his speech, Marcos stressed the viability of newly unveiled arena as a national sports training camp that will be instrumental in producing even more Olympians and world-class athletes for the Philippines.

“Isang mahalagang hakbang upang maitaguyod natin ang ating mga kababayan na may angking galing sa larangan ng palakasan. Sa tulong nito, mabibigyan sila ng pagkakataon upang mahasa pa ang kanilang mga talent (This is a crucial step to promote the talents of our fellow Filipinos in the field of sports. With the help of this, we can provide opportunities to hone their talents),” the President said.

Escudero said the continued support of the Marcos administration to the province will allow Sorsogon to accomplish more in the years to come.

“Hindi pa kami tapos at malayo pa ang aming lalakbayin at buo ang aking paniniwala na sa tulong ninyo, sa ilalim ng inyong administrasyon at sa prinsipyong isinusulong ng inyong pamahalaan na ‘build back better’ marami pa kaming magagawa, marami pa kaming mapapatunayan, marami pa kaming makikita upang sa gayon ay maisakatuparan namin ang aming pangarap at mithiin para sa aming inang lalawigan gayun din sa aming rehiyon ng Bicol (We are not yet donr and we still have a long way to go to and I fully believe that with your help, under your administration and the principles promoted by your government such as 'build back better’—we can do more, we can prove more, there is more to be seen so that we can realize our dreams and aspirations for our mother province as well as in our Bicol region),” he said.