Venue repairs right on track
Renovation being undertaken to restore the 85-year-old Rizal Memorial Coliseum to its former stature is ongoing at a feverish pace.
Workers do two 12-hour shifts to ensure the construction company tapped to do the job meet the Oct. 30 deadline imposed by the Philippine Sports Commission as the country prepares to host the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Allan Lucero, one of seven engineers assigned at rebuilding the coliseum, said the target date of completion is reachable.
While the flooring and new seats have yet to be installed, Lucero said the 250-strong workforce will get the job done in time for the deadline.
The lower-level area of the coliseum will have retractable seats while the bleachers section won’t be touched.
For the first time, the coliseum will have an airconditioning unit that will be imported from Malaysia. VIP and various function rooms are also being made to help it get modernized.
While some parts have already arrived, Lucero said nonetheless that it won’t likely be installed by Oct. 30. Everything will be operational by the time the SEAG opens.
Gymnastics will use the coliseum but after the SEAG, the PSC expects collegiate leagues to hold their games there as had been the case in the past.
“We already have inquiries about the collegiate leagues wanting to use the coliseum," said PSC executive director Guillermo Iroy.
The coliseum is a part of the sprawling Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, which in 1954 hosted the Asian Games.