Subic formally tapped SEAG host

The scenic Subic Bay Freeport hosts four major events in the coming 23rd Philippine Southeast Asian Games.

The formal designation of the former American base as one of the key venues for the biennial meet set from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 was announced the other day during the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) chairman Roberto Pagdanganan and Subic Bay Freeport officials, led by tourism manager Kenneth Peralta, at the PITC Bldg.

Archery, canoe/kayak, sailing and triathlon are the events to be held in the bustling seaport. It also serves as one of the satellite venues, along with Cebu and Bacolod, of the third SEA Games the country is hosting.

The Subic Bay Freeport, according to Peralta, will shoulder all expenses to be incurred by Filipino athletes, officials and technical staff for the duration of the nine-day meet.

Also in attendance during the MOA signing were Subic SEA Games coordinating team head Ramon de Leon, International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative Frank Elizalde, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Robert Aventajado, POC vice president Steve Hontiveros and former POC chief Celso Dayrit.

Subic chair Francisco Licuanan III was not around during the event but already had his signature affixed in the MOA.

The signing came barely a week after a similar agreement was reached by Philsoc with the different Metro Manila venues to be used in the SEA Games.

Among the sites were the Ynares Center in Antipolo and the Ateneo Blue Eagle gym on Katipunan, which will host men’s and women’s basketball, Makati Coliseum (billiards and snooker), Trace Aquatic Center in Los Baños, Laguna (swimming) and Tagaytay City (chess and cycling).

Bacolod will be hosts to boxing, football, indoor volleyball and weightlifting while Cebu has seven events — judo, sepak takraw, taekwondo, karatedo, pencak silat, and dancesports.