Hontiveros wants barangays to put up space for skaters

A CEBU City councilor wants to coordinate with some village chiefs in the city to provide a space where skateboarders can practice their skills.

City Councilor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros told reporters that putting up skateboarding venues in some barangays is one solution they can come up for now while they are still looking for a suitable area for a skatepark.

“We are really encouraging them (village chiefs) to provide a space for them (skateboarders),” said Hontiveros.

Hontiveros said he and the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) are working with officials of Barangay Suba to convert a gym there into a temporary skatepark.

He said the CCSC already checked the area and gave a positive feedback.

The barangay also already approved a resolution allowing the space to be used as a temporary skatepark, he said.

Initially, the City was supposed to construct a skatepark beside the Fort San Pedro in Plaza Independencia.

The plan, however, hit a snag as the City was not allowed to construct any structure near a heritage site.

In a previous interview, Mayor Edgardo Labella also heard that the area is not suitable for skateboarding.

Meanwhile, Hontiveros is asking the skateboarding community to be patient while the City is working on the project.

Calls for the construction of a skatepark in Cebu City came after Cebuana skateboarding star and Southeast Asian Games 2019 champ Margielyn Didal appealed to local leaders to construct more facilities for athletes like her.