Form Philsoc early for ’19 SEAG
The Philippine Olympic Committee is calling for the early creation of the organizing group that will plan and put into motion the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
“It’s two years from now but the earlier we do it the better,” said POC vice president Jose Romasanta, who called for an immediate meeting between POC president Jose Cojuangco and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez.
The POC and the PSC will be the two key forces that will be behind the country’s hosting of the 30th SEA Games. But because there are other sectors that will be part of the show, it’s better to get everybody on board ahead of time.
This early, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea is being considered to head the 2019 SEA Games organizing committee.
Medialdea, a lawyer, business executive and government administrator rolled into one, will head the 2019 Philsoc as the direct representative of President Duterte.
When the country hosted the 2005 SEA Games, Cojuangco, then newly installed POC chief, was named Philsoc president. The Philippines won the overall title for the first time in SEA Games history.
“The 2019 SEA Games is more urgent than the 2017 SEA Games. This year we will only be there (in Kuala Lumpur) as a competitor. In 2019 we will both host and compete,” said Romasanta.
“It (Philsoc) has to be a composite team made up of different sectors so the earlier it is formed the better for us,” said the POC vice president, adding that aside from the POC and the PSC, also to be part of the organization are the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, Department of Budget and even the Philippine National Police.
Romasanta said once formed, the organizing committee will have to draw the blueprint, from the events and number of medals to be contested, the availability of venues to host the events, the number of delegates coming in from the 10 foreign countries and how to provide board and lodging, food and transportation, among others.
Then the final budget to host the entire show will have to be prepared. In 2005, the government threw in close to P300 million for the hosting of the biennial event, excluding the money spent in training the athletes.
“We must form the organizing committee early so we can work on the planning, and identify and appoint those who will head the various committees,” said Romasanta.
The POC vice president said lessons were learned from the 2005 hosting, and is confident that the country can do an even better job in running the Games.
“We will do better this time with the lessons learned in 2005,” said Romasanta, citing the problems in liquidation as one of the concerns that will have to be addressed more carefully this time.
“Government money will have to be liquidated separately from money from the private sector. This time, the government will liquidate its own money,” he said.
While the bulk of the budget will come from government, Cojuangco said the POC will still have to raise additional funds simply because the government cannot provide everything.