Athletics, aquatics facilities for PH’s 2019 Sea Games hosting finished by August

NEW CLARK CITY, Tarlac – The sports facilities to be used for the athletics and swimming events of the 2019 Southeast Asian (Sea) Games is already 80-percent complete such that construction will be finished by end-August, ahead of the government’s deadline.

MTD Philippines Inc. president Patrick Nicholas David told reporters that while the government targeted to complete the initial phase of the 250-hectare national government administrative center (NGAC) project at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac on Oct. 15, they were on schedule to complete construction of the sports complex on Aug. 31.

Two access roads leading to 9,450-hectare

—one from the Clark International Airport and another from the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx)—will also be completed by early next year at the latest, said David, who heads the construction firm tapped to develop the massive and world-class NGAC complex where some government operations will eventually be transferred from Manila.

Phase 1A of the NGAC project involved the development of an initial 40 hectares, including building the 20,000-seater athletic stadium, 2,000-seater aquatic center, athletes village for Sea Games participants, as well as government housing and support service facilities.

It will also include the construction of the Integrated Operations Center and Disaster Risk Recovery Center, which will serve as government agencies’ disaster-resilient backup offices.

Following the ground-breaking for the NGAC in January last year, actual construction started in March 2018, with the government giving an 18-month deadline to finish phase 1A.

As such, David said 8,000 construction workers were on call 24/7.

About 3,000 athletes were expected to compete in the 2019 Sea Games on Nov. 30-Dec. 11.

After this year’s Sea Games hosting, the New Clark City sports facilities were being eyed by other countries as a venue when they practice for the 2020 Olympic Games to be hosted in Tokyo, Japan, David said.

Since the summer season in the Philippines was just a few months ahead of summer in Japan, foreign countries wanted to be accustomed to Asian summer weather before they compete in next year’s Olympics, he said.