Re-opening of Dagupan’s swim pool assured
DAGUPAN CITY—The city’s Olympic-size swimming pool, venue of the swimming competition in the 1995 Palarong Pambansa, is set for rehabilitation in time for the Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA) meet to be hosted by Dagupan early next year.
It will be the second time that Dagupan City will host the IRAA meet.
Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., who accepted the hosting chore for next year’s IRAA meet, said P1 million will be needed to put the facility back in top shape by the end of the year.
He said the city will make available P500,000 for the project while 4th District Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. agreed to give a counterpart of P500,000.
But more than just renovating it for the athletic meet, Mayor Fernandez said the renovation will afford the city the opportunity to transform it into a viable and self-sustaining income-generating facility.
In making his financial pledge, De Venecia echoed the same sentiment and asked the city government to have the swimming pool managed as an income generating facility by a special body to be formed by the city.
The congressman suggested that it be placed under the supervision of the city’s Sangguniang Kabataan whose federation president, Councilor Carlo Alipio Fernandez, is a be-medaled swimmer in national age-group swimming competitions.
The swimming pool was rehabilitated in 2006 by the past city administration as the venue of the swimming competition during the National Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) meet but was not maintained as such since then.
Its complementary edifice that used to be the site of a functional restaurant is still in place but is now losing to the elements.
The Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) built the swimming pool complex not only as venue of the swimming event for the 1995 Palarong Pambansa and initially managed the restaurant as its added an income-generating activity.
PTA later turned over the facility to the Dagupan City government but the latter failed to sustain its operation.
Mayor Fernandez vowed to make the facility really-income generating by making it available to students who opted for swimming as part of their Physical Education subject.—LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
