By HENRY EMPEÑO |

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The whole Subic Bay Freeport community is going all-out for the successful staging here of the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 2019), putting out all of its passion and energy into the preparations to host 17 of the 56 scheduled competitions.

“From ensuring the cleanliness of sports venues and facilities to volunteering their services, our stakeholders here — employees, students, and plain residents — are giving their all for this historic event that’s happening right here in our community,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

She pointed out that workers from various business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport, residents and students from Subic and Olongapo City, as well as personnel from government agencies in the Subic Bay area volunteered their time and effort in regular clean-up operations that the SBMA scheduled months before the SEA Games.

“For me, that was the essence of winning as one for the Subic community — when each stakeholder contributed what they can for one purpose and that was to make Subic ready for the Games,” she added.

Eisma, who made the rounds on Thursday of the Media Center and the eight SEA Games venues here, also expressed satisfaction with the facilities rehabilitation job undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), as well as the preparations made by business establishments that will be hosting some events.

The SBMA partnered with DPWH in refurbishing the Subic Bay Sports Complex, which will be the venue for sepak takraw, beach volleyball and beach handball; Remy Field for cultural presentations and training; and Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center for muay Thai, pencak silat and table tennis.

The SBMA is also in charge of other venues for outdoor games like triathlon, duathlon, and modern pentathlon.

The rest of the venues were prepared by private establishments: Subic Bay Yacht Club for sailing and windsurfing; Kamana Sanctuary Resort for traditional boat race and canoe and kayak; Subic Bay Travellers Hotel for chess; and Acea Subic Bay resort for rowing.

Eisma said she is confident that everything is in place and that the sports contests will proceed smoothly.

“The venues are ready, the volunteers are ready, and Subic is raring for the win — a victory for the Philippines as the host,” Eisma exclaimed.

“We are here to help both our local and guest athletes, and we’ll do everything to make the 2019 SEA Games successful,” she added.

On Monday, Nov. 25, Eisma led the symbolic lighting of the SEA Games cauldron here with Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) Director for Ceremonies and Cultural Events Mike Aguilar, as well as Filipino triathlon gold medal winners in the 2015 SEA Games Nikko Huelgas and Ma. Claire Adorna.

Aguilar stressed during the occasion that Subic’s partnership and support “is valuable in forging this strong and powerful bond across our region.”

“In recent weeks, we have passed on the flame from Davao to Cebu, to Pampanga. And now we are here in the Subic Bay Freeport,” Aguilar said.

“It is the hope of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee that the games be an opportunity to highlight not just the growing passion, talent and skills, of every southeast Asian athlete, but also the hope and solidarity that drive every game,” he added.

In her message, Eisma also thanked PHISGOC, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the national government for their support to Subic and pledged the agency’s all-out assistance in return.

She also urged SBMA employees who comprise the various committees under the SEA Games Subic Cluster to be ready for any challenges that may arise during the hosting and asked them to prioritize the welfare of the athletes.

“What matters most in the Southeast Asian Games are the athletes, and we are here to support them and make sure that everything will go as planned,” Eisma said.

“We might encounter some problems along the way, but I challenge this SBMA team to make sure that we stand strong and steadfast even when we will be neck-deep in our tasks trying to make sure that our athletes are supported,” she added.

The SBMA official also urged SEA Games volunteers and staff not to mind the negative comments about deficiencies in hosting the event.

“I do not want you to be deterred with the adverse social media comments coming in right now. I am sure there will be a lot of detractors, and there will be a lot of comments that will probably break our hearts. But we are SBMA — Sa Bayan Muna Ako. And I am very confident that together, we will win as one,” she concluded.

Subic, which is considered the triathlon capital of the Philippines, is one of the major venues for the 2019 Sea Games with a total of 17 games.

Subic hosted only four events out of the 40 competitions in the 2005 SEA Games that the Philippines hosted 14 years ago. ▼

 

TOP PHOTO: A priest blesses the beach volleyball court at the re-purposed Subic Bay Tennis Court (Photo by Dong Andres)