Palaro billeting ready for influx of athletes

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – The billeting assignments for athletes and officials for the 2015 Palarong Pambansa have been readied Friday last week and what the facilities only need are the athletes and officials – 10,000 or so of them – who will vie in the annual multi-sport competition to be hosted by Davao del Norte from May 3 to 9.

“We are proud to say that every billeting center is ready,” Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario said. “Similar with our playing venues, we are ready to host the Palaro anytime, even tomorrow.”

Making Davao del Norte unique from previous Palarong Pambansa hosts is the strategic location of its billeting facilities from the Davao del Norte Sports Complex, according to Del Rosario.

“Travel time from the billeting areas to the competition venues and back will be convenient to everyone,” Del Rosario explained.

Putting premium on road safety at a maximum 35 kph within the confines of the capital to 60 kph in the outskirts, ferrying the student athletes and officials to the sports complex would border from a quick one minute drive at the minimum to 39 minutes at the maximum.

Of the 22 billeting facilities, only three are outside a 5-km radius from the sports complex.

“The athletes could just even walk to the competition if they would desire to,” Del Rosario said.

Competitions will be in the traditional 18 sports in the Davao del Norte Palaro. All 17 regions will be represented in the annual competition for student athletes in the primary and secondary level.