BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson assured organizers of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa of the security of participating athletes if the province gets to host the games.
Lacson went to the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office in Metro Manila to woo the organizers.
Cebu City’s Mayor Mike Rama and Antique’s Gov. Rhodora Cadiao also presented their bids as hosts.
According to Lacson, the organizers expressed concern over reports of encounters between government forces and the New People’s Army in Negros.
The governor assured the board that the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade would secure all athletes.
He pointed out to the organizers that the encounters took place 80 kilometers from the province’s capital, Bacolod City. He added that the skirmishes are because government forces are aggressive in their campaign to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).
“ELCAC will not stop because we are making a bid to host the Palaro next year,” Lacson said.
He also cited the province’s previous experiences hosting the national games. Palarong Pambansa was held in Negros Occidental in 1971, 1974, 1979, 1998, and 2000.
The provincial government began renovating the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City in 2019, as the province was supposed to host the 2021 Palarong Pambansa.
However, the games were canceled as the country concentrated on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget for the renovation of Panaad Park and Stadium was pegged at P150 million, with the track and field oval alone worth P50 million.
The result of the bidding will be announced by Vice President and concurrent DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio during the closing ceremonies of the 2023 Palarong Pambansa on August 5 in Marikina City. (Watchmen Daily Journal)
