Class suspension during SEA Games mulled

Officials responsible for the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games next month are planning to recommend the suspension of classes in some areas where sports competitions will be held.

“We are still studying the areas, and we will soon submit our recommendation to Malacañang,” Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who chairs the SEA Games organizing committee, said in an interview on ABS-CBN.

He said in some venues where organizers expect heavy traffic, the committee would recommend that classes not be held for the duration of the events to lessen inconvenience on the part of students and the public.

“There is traffic everywhere, but we will try to minimize that by housing thousands of athletes near the venues,” he said.

He added that organizers are expecting up to 13,000 athletes, coaches and other support staff, 1,000 international media practitioners and 9,000 volunteers.

The regional sports competition will take place between Nov. 30 and Dec. 11. Most of the events will be held at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, where the government is finishing a P13-billion sports complex with complete facilities, including housing for athletes, coaches and other personnel.

But some events will be held in Subic, Metro Manila and Tagaytay City.

Cayetano said many of the facilities in Clark and Subic are “more than 90 percent complete and are now being tested.”

However, he said the Philippine Sports Commission is still completing renovations on some venues in Metro Manila.

“Those should be finished within the next two weeks,” he said.

He pointed out that the successful hosting of the SEA Games “will be an immense advertising, marketing and commercial vehicle for the country, since the number of spectators is projected to reach one billion.”