Capas, Tarlac – When the country’s hosting of the 30th South East Asian Games (SEA Games) ends this December, all sports facilities used for the games at the New Clark City (NCC) will be turned over to the private owners as planned.
Vivencio Dizon, president and chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said they “believe that in order to preserve and run these facilities well, we [BCDA] need to involve the private sector.”
“The private sector will not only operate and maintain the facilities well, but they will also be the ones to find the best uses for them,” he said.
The sports facilities that will be privatized include the 2,000-seater Aquatics Center, 20,000-seater Athletics Stadium, and Athlete’s Village that will be the temporary residence of participating athletes and officials during the November 30 to December 11 sports event.
These facilities have met the standards of international governing bodies, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and the Federation Internationale de Natation (Fina).
The BDCA head said that the venues can have many possible uses for both local and international sports events, company events, team building activities, and concerts.
Past Olympic facilities in London and Sydney were also turned into mixed-use properties for use by the general public.
The property also currently holds the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) which functions as back-up offices of different government agencies, government housing, and support service facilities. (Jojo Mangahis)