• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is leading the Negros Occidental delegation to convince organizers of the Palarong Pambansa to hold it in the province next year.
Lacson will be accompanied by Public Information Office head by Czarina Magallanes-Tan, Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa, and Provincial Sports consultant Anthony Agustin.
Negros Occidental is competing against Cebu City and Antique in the bid to host the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
The presentation will be held at the Department of Education central office in Manila today, July 14.
Lacson said he will highlight the fact that Negros Occidental is a four-time host of the school-based annual sports event.
“Negros Occidental is a sports loving province. We will tell them about the food, the area. We will tell them that it will not be all sports, especially at the Panaad Park and Stadium,” Lacson said.
“We will project Negros Occidental as a sports destination,” he stressed.
Lacson said he will ask the local government units to open their pavilions to create a festive mood.
If the province wins, most of the playing venues, especially the billeting will be in Bacolod City and at Panaad, he said.
As part of the preparations of the province for the hosting of the sports event, the provincial government owned Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City underwent renovations starting 2019.
The renovation of the sports facility was pegged at around P150 million, with the track and field oval alone worth P50 million.*
