The Cebu Provincial Government, alongside Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City, has expressed its full support for the Cebu City Government as the latter is slated to host the Palarong Pambansa 2024 this July.
This was the consensus during a working lunch at the Governor’s Office on May 15 attended by Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.
Also present were Cebu City Acting Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros; Board Members Glenn Soco and Victoria Corominas-Toribio; and Cebu City OIC Administrator Atty. Kristine Joyce Batucan.
“If we are able to work together and collaborate together — this is not just a sports activity — this will be an economic activity which will benefit our constituents, whether they are from the city, the province or the highly urbanized cities,” Gov. Gwen Garcia said, emphasizing the benefits unity can bring.
To formalize the arrangement, each of the four LGUs is set to pass resolutions authorizing their chief executives to sign a memorandum of agreement to put force into their collaborative positions for the upcoming national sporting event.
“Kani siya, this is really a breath of fresh air nga kitang tanan magtinabangay gyud ta sa Palaro,” Acting Mayor Garcia said, expressing gratitude to the officials for responding to his call for a meeting.
Both Mayor Cortes and Mayor Chan welcomed the plans, expressing their willingness to host participants and events of the Palarong Pambansa. In fact, Mayor Chan proudly highlighted Lapu-Lapu City’s Hoops Dome, which recently hosted the East Asia Super League Final Four, as a possible venue for some events.
For Mandaue City, Mayor Cortes has already offered to host events like arnis and sepak takraw, noting the city’s recent championship in the CVIRAA 2024 Sepak Takraw competition.
It can be recalled that Cebu City won its bid to host the Palarong Pambansa 2024, scheduled for July this year.
While the venues and other details of the Palaro are still being finalized, some potential areas in the province, such as Minglanilla, City of Naga, and Carcar City, are being considered for certain sports events.
Beginning July 6, around 12,000 Palaro participants from the 17 regions of the country will arrive in Cebu City for the highly anticipated event organized by the Department of Education. | BJR