Tarlac readies venues for Palaro

SAN JOSE, Tarlac, Philippines – Tarlac officially launched its hosting of this year’s Palarong Pambansa yesterday, 53 days before the 53rd staging of the annual event among the elementary and high school student-athletes April 11-17 at the newly constructed Tarlac Recreational Park here.

“We’re happy and proud to host the Palarong Pambansa and we will make sure all the people coming here will feel the involvement of every individual in Tarlac City,” said Tarlac Gov. Victor Yap during the event launch at the main hub’s multi-purpose hall.

Yap, 44, said most of the venues, spread over five different key places in the province, are nearing completion and will be ready in time for the week-long meet tipped to draw over 12,000 student-athletes, coaches, officials and delegation members from 17 regions..

“We have 53 days to complete and prepare everything and we know we can do it,” said Yap.

This marks the first time that the province will host the summer sports spectacle with Yap guaranteeing a successful staging with the help of volunteers.

“We will be tapping and bringing in volunteers, probably we’ll reach our target number, which is 12,000,” he said.

Security, according the province’s chief, will not be a problem.

In fact, over a thousand security personnel – billeting (243), traffic (317), parking (118), military augmentation (100), radio groups (270) and barangay tanods (200) – will be tapped to ensure the safety of the participants and officials.

Smart Sports, which was represented by its department head Patrick Gregorio, will be the event presentor and has been busy disseminating information about the annual meet.

Tarlac superintendent Antonieta Tiofuico and Department of Education Region 3 director Felicita Villanueva also graced the event launch.

The centerpiece athletics event, along with arnis, basketball, swimming, tennis, football, basketball and volleyball, will be held at the main hub while the elementary basketball, boxing, chess, gymnastics, sepak takraw, badminton, softball, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and archery are set in nearby sites like Tarlac City, Concepcion, Bamban and Camiling.

Dancesports, now a Southeast Asian Games event, will also debut in this year’s Palaro as a demonstration sport.