LGUs play vital role as SEAG hosts

To ensure the smooth-staging of the SEA Games in satellite venues, the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) yesterday granted the local government units (LGUs) full powers to organize and run the specific sports in their respective localities.

Thus, specific tasks and responsibilities have been spelled out in fine print from which a memorandum of understanding will be forged between the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) and key Philippine cities and towns designated to host the 41 sports and 411 events for the 23rd Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5.

Philsoc chair and chief executive officer Roberto Pagdanganan underscored the need to set in clear terms the framework of reference for the LGU’s hosting responsibility in the venues where a SEAG sport will be played.

"Our Memorandum of Understanding with the host cities will delineate specific guidelines and clarify coordination requirements, wherever these become necessary, in our relationship as partners," Pagdanganan said.

Cebu and Bacolod LGUs are now operating on policy procedures laid down earlier by Philsoc and being implemented by their locally based sports development councils. In Metro Manila, Marikina City has a governing agreement with Philsoc for its hosting task on women’s football. Similar pacts are presently being threshed out with other local government units.

"Philsoc is mainly responsible for anything that involves the SEA Games, but through an agreement, we are sharing this task with our host LGUs. They are our partners in ensuring the success of the Games at the local level," Pagdanganan stressed.

Former PSC commissioner Ricardo Garcia, Philsoc sports operations committee head, identified the LGUs whose working MOAs will have to be signed with Philsoc. These are the Metropolitan Manila cities of Manila, Quezon, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, Antipolo and Taguig;

The adjacent suburban cities of Tagaytay, Lipa and Angeles; the nearby towns of Los Banos in Laguna, Binangonan in Rizal, and Silang in Cavite; the Subic Freeport Zone and the town of Subic in Zambales; and in the Visayas, the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Danao and Bacolod.