Makati to bid for SEAG 2005

Makati City, the country’s chief financial district, will bid for the hosting of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

Councilor Mark Joseph of the city’s first district bared the idea after the Philippine Olympic Committee started laying the groundwork for the country’s hosting early this month.

"The presence of hotels, malls and other business establishments in Makati will make the area a viable venue for the SEA Games hosting," said Joseph, swimming coach of the RP team during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

He said once the POC sets the criteria for biennial meet’s bidding, Makati City would be the first to offer its services and meet the requirements for the SEA Games' successful staging.

And the venue of the games, he said, would be in Fort Bonifacio, where vast tracks of land could accommodate the construction of a world-class track and field oval.

Aside from the setting up of a track and field oval, Joseph also hatched the idea of erecting a village inside Fort Bonifacio to house the athletes, similar to the Olympic Village in the Olympic Games.

"After the SEA Games, the units inside the village will be sold at a reasonable price," said Joseph sports and youth development chairman of the Philippine Councilors League.

Joseph said he would ask Ayala Land in the construction of the venue and the village and Manny Pangilinan to help out in realizing Makati’s dream – to provide world-class facilities especially in sports.

"Since the government is groping for funding, the support of the private sector would allow the government to allocate its resources to a more pressing need," said Joseph.

"Also, the use of sports in Makati is to develop participants and not spectators and one way to make it a reality is to create sporting facilities that would cater to all walks of life in the city," he added.

Joseph said since Makati’s hosting would also boost tourism in the area," it is but fit to maximize our efforts by offering world-class accommodation to the athletes and delegates from the region."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has her full backing on the country’s hosting and already approved the creation of task force that would ensure smooth operation in the games.

Some of the government agencies tapped are the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine Sports Commission with the Philippine Olympic Committee spearheading the country’s hosting.