Sport-funding body focuses on infrastructure upgrade

MANILA, Philippines -- Build, build and build.

This will be the focus of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the next few years as it laid out more infrastructure plans that included renovations of national athletes’ dormitories and its main administration building in Manila.

“A total of P275 million for construction have already been spent for all these facilities,” said PSC chair Richard Bachmann.

The sports-funding agency’s comprehensive infrastructure program was set in motion via the tearing down of the old boxing and pencak silat facilities and turning it into a seven-storey building inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The building will also include additional dormitories for athletes.

Refurbishings have also started in the gallery section of the historic Rizal Baseball Stadium.

“We started last year with the seven-storey building and the baseball gallery is being broken down and retrofitted,” he said.

Next will be the dormitories and the four-storey office building.

“People don’t know that the PSC building is already condemned. The fourth floor, tumutulo na lahat, even the elevator pumapasok tulo ng ulan,” said Bachmann. “I promised to fix it with the help of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways).”

“Doon muna kami sa PhilSports (Pasig) for the meantime,” he added.