by Christian Paclauna, HCDC intern
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Davao Regional Athletes Association (DAVRAA) is now gearing up for the upcoming annual sports event next month.
School Division Superintendent and Division Sports Coordinator Ines C. Asuncion, said in a press conference on Thursday, January 18 that DAVRAA already allocated P100,000 per division including Davao Occidental province, which would join the DAVRAA meet for the first time as a recently created province .
“The budget is good and sufficient enough to accommodate the at least 8,000 participants in DAVRAA,” Asuncion said.
The city government here said it would also focus on the DAVRAA , as it hosts the week-long event to begin on February 18 this year.
With the city’s sports complex not completed yet, the set of events and venue would be distributed to different location and schools including the University of Mindanao Matina Campus (UM) for t rack and f ield and s epak t akraw , ball games including basketball at the Rizal Memorial College (RMC) Gym, UM Gym and University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) Gym.
Davao Del Norte sports complex would be holding the swimming pool event.
The opening and closing ceremony of the event will be held at the Olympic-sized rubberized track oval of the University of Mindanao (UM) Matina campus.
The regional athletics meet is a prelude to the Palarong Pambansa, which Davao City is set to host in 2019.
The construction of the multibillion sports complex located at the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) has shifted to high gear in preparation for the Palarong Pambansa hosting.
“This will be a test to know [DAVRAA] if we can make it to the Palarong Pambansa,” Acunsion said.
The facilities are funded by the General Appropriation Acts of 2015 and 2016 and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Local Infra Programs.
The sports complex is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year. (davaotoday.com)
