by Nick Giongco
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) yesterday expressed concerns over the apparent lack of preparations in relation to the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games scheduled Nov. 30-Dec. 11 in Metro Manila and prime locations in Central and Southern Luzon.
“What kind of preparations are we having?” asked PSC chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez during a media briefing Friday afternoon at the Philippine International Convention Center after learning that a SEAG Task Force has yet to be formed.
“Even the CDM doesn’t know the number of sports per event. Although alam nila 56 sports are going to be played, pero di nila alam ang specifics. That’s paramount,” said PSC Deputy Executive Director Guillermo Iroy.
“We, at the PSC, would like to have an idea about the size of the delegation. Since we are the host, we should have an idea how many athletes and officials are going to join,” said Iroy.
The SEAG CDM is Makati Rep. Monsour del Rosario, who is being assisted by deputies Stephen Fernandez and Charlie Ho.
But Del Rosario is said to be neck-deep in preparations for his vice-mayoralty bid in Makati.
The PSC said that it is imperative that the CDM finally forms a SEAG Task Force the soonest that will lay out a timeline and the ever-important criteria in the selection of athletes.
The Bulletin tried reaching out to Del Rosario but the Makati congressman wasn’t able to respond to queries at presstime.
To make up for the lack of sense of urgency, the PSC will attempt to hook up with Del Rosario and his deputies next week so all the stakeholders of the SEAG – the PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Phisgoc – can start drumbeating the biennial sportsfest last played on local shores in 2005.
