LEGAZPI CITY, Jan 6 (PNA) -- After Albay athletes and coaches complained of poor food provision during Palarong Panlalawigan and Palarong Bicol and now, during the training in preparation for the sports competitions, Albay Governor Joey Salceda directed provincial sports coordinator Roderick Mendoza to iron out the problem in the soonest time so that it would never be repeated in future sports events, especially in the Palarong Pambansa this coming April.
Salceda said the province provided a bigger budget under the Special Education Fund, which is actually determined by Department of Education Albay Division, which controls the training.
“Basically the story is, bidders dive the price then they deliver poorly. So it is DepEd-Albay head Santillas who is responsible for it. The budget is ample since I want to win Palarong for three times and lost only last year when Camarines Sur cheated,” the governor said.
He said that since he assumed post in 2007, he has allocated Php27 million from Php5 million.
“Since 2007, it has grown from Php5 million to Php27 million and I organized PED and ACE composed of all DepEd, BU, CHED and TESDA to institutionalize its supervision,” he said.
Athletes and coaches in Albay are currently undergoing training at the Guinobatan Sports Complex in preparation for Palarong Bicol next month and they are complaining of poor food ration provided by the provincial government.
Due to lack of food ration and lack of water given by the Office of General Services led by Teresita “Tita” Oringo, some athletes and parents backed out from the ongoing training.
Mendoza admitted in a radio interview with Al Almario over dzGB radio station that slow and lack of food provision distress the athletes and coaches, prompting some parents and athletes to withdraw from the sports training for Palarong Bicol.
The Palarong Bicol will be held in Pacol, Naga City next month. Mendoza said the catering was done through administration under Oringo, unfortunately the students and coaches have suffered from poor food rationing.
Following the complaints of coaches, students and parents, Salceda immediately instructed Mendoza to iron out and address the on-going poor food provision.
Mendoza said food are served late and deficient.
He said he tried to call Oringo for so many times but was ignored by the head of the general services office.
I’m trying to address this dilemma following the instruction of Governor Joey Salceda to address the matter in the soonest time,” Mendoza said over the radio.
The provincial government will be hosting the country’s biggest sporting event this year to promote sports tourism.
Salceda bid for the 2016 Palarong Pambansa, for which President Aquino recently approved a Php700-million budget for Albay’s hosting it.
The provincial government will also infuse a Php150-million counterpart on top of the entire budget approved by the President.
Salceda wants to focus on sports tourism, as participants and visitors of the country’s biggest sports event can explore Albay’s best tourism destinations and specialties to boost the local economy.
Construction of sports facilities is underway and is expected to finish before the Palarong Pambansa is done in the next two months here. (PNA) RMA/FGS/RBB/CBD/eds