Tubod ready for ’03 Palaro—Dimaporo

Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah "Bobby" Dimaporo yesterday announced that finishing touches are already being done on the Mindanao Sports and Civic Center in Tubod, site of the 2003 Palarong Pambansa which the province is hosting next March.

This early, the congressman reported the completion of the 7,000-seater multi-purpose arena as well as the 65-room hotel inside the complex which cost the province about P500 million to build.

"We want to make sure that everything is in place when we finally get to host the biggest sporting event in the country," said Dimaporo, who will host the event alongside his wife, Gov. Imelda Dimaporo. "There is no stopping us from making this event a success."

Built especially for the Palarong Pambansa hosting which the province initially sought for as early as 1997, the Mindanao Sports and Civic Center also boasts of a rubberized athletics track, football field, Olympic-size swimming pool and tennis courts, archery field and baseball diamond.

The main stadium can accommodate 5,000 spectators. It also has a spacious dining hall and media center right at the heart of the 18-hectare sports facility which is inside a total of 71-hectare complex where a golf course, trade center, wet and dry market and a bus terminal are simultaneously being built.

Dimaporo added that a spanking 65-room hotel is all set to house the VIPs who will be at the Palaro, probably the biggest sporting event to held in Mindanao.

The Philippine Sports Commission has already thrown its support for Lanao del Norte’s hosting of the event after the Dimaporos agreed in a compromise with Naga City, which hosted the Games this year.

The congressman also assured peace and order during the Games and stressed that the province is far away from the terrorist hot spots.

"We hope to erase the general impression that there is conflict in whole of Mindanao," said Dimaporo. "Mindanao is a very big place and much of it is peaceful, including our province.