THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has given P800 million to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the rehabilitation of three PSC-maintained venues – the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Track and Football Stadium, the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, and PhilSports Arena.
Pagcor chairwoman Andrea Domingo handed over the check to the PSC to jumpstart the infrastructure projects.
“We are trying to give you as much (help) as we can,” Domingo said in a statement.
PSC chairman William Ramirez said: “This is a good legacy of Pagcor that under your watch all three facilities will be rehabilitated at this level. This P800 million is very sentimental for PSC because those have never been rehabilitated in this way.”
The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex was built in 1934 for the Far Eastern Games, the precursor of the Asian Games, and has been the Philippines’ national stadium since then.
The Ninoy Aquino Stadium is one of the two indoor stadiums inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, with the Rizal Memorial Coliseum being the other, while the PhilSports Arena, located in Pasig City, has previously been the home of the PBA, UAAP, and other sporting events.
The three venues will also be used for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, with football competitions being held at the Rizal Stadium, weightlifting and taekwondo at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, and volleyball at the PhilSports Arena.