Peping eyes Air Force City for sports

Not only for business, investments

CLARK FREEPORT – The chief of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said he is eyeing select areas of the 300-hectare Air Force City where he is planning put up various sports facilities for Philippine athletes.

In a dialogue with veteran journalists from the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (Cami) at the Bale Balita here, POC President Joe “Peping” Cojuangco said the Air Force City, a 300-hectare prime lot area here occupied by the Philippine Air Force (PAF), will be a good location to establish training facilities for national athletes.

Cojuangco’s announcement came in the wake of an earlier statement from Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President Arnel Paciano Casanova, who said the government is planning to transfer the 300-hectare Air Force City here to Cubi Point in Subic to allow the CDC to lease more lands to future investors.

Originally, Cojuangco was eyeing the upland areas of Clark’s 29,000-hectare sub-zone in the Sacobia Valley after the CDC, in 2011, presented the Clark STAR project to the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission.

The Clark STAR project was supposed to be built on a 200-hectare land at the Northeast tip of Clark, between Mabalacat and the Sacobia River. Aside from having a sports academy and dormitories for athletes, it will have various stadia for indoor games, field events, and aquatic sports.

It will also feature a commercial complex, exhibit halls, convention center, promenade, central park, public transport terminal and a monorail link system around the facility.

Also, Cojuangco cited Sacobia’s geographical location saying its mountainous area forms a natural barrier that would prevent athletes from leaving their quarters prompting them focus more on sports. He added that the Sacobia’s climate and fresh air is ideal for athletes unlike the smoggy environment of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

But Cojuangco emphasized that once the plan to transfer the Air Force City to Subic pushes through, only select areas in the PAF area would be used for various sports facilities.

“I plan to put some of the sports [facilities] here since we have all the space in Clark,” Cojuangco said. “Part of the plan is to refurbish existing sports facilities at the Air Force City like its tennis courts, basketball courts, swimming pool, and Challenger football field.”

Cojuangco also announced that the Philippines will be hosting the general assembly for the Centennial celebration of Asian sports to be held in Boracay this coming November.

“The Olympic Council of Asia is composed of 45 countries and some of the member-countries will be landing in Clark. Also, the Executive Council of the Association of National Olympic Committees or ANOC Executive Council will also attend the general assembly,” Cojuangco revealed.

He said the event is a good opportunity to market the Philippines, particularly the Clark Freeport to potential investors.

“Most of the participants are members of royal families, ministers, multi-millionaires and what they would usually ask me is ‘What is the best place to invest in the Philippines?’ So I want these officials to see Clark to entice them to invest here,” Cojuangco said.

          

“For me, this will probably be the biggest aggrupation of big people of the world,” Cojuangco said.

He added that “The Association of National Olympic Committees is composed of 205 countries and is bigger than the United Nations.”