THE 24th edition of University Games (UNIGAMES) on Oct. 20 to 27 is expected to bolster tourism and business sector in Iloilo City.
The University of San Agustin (USA), for the second time, is hosting this year’s UNIGAMES themed “The Games that Bring Us Together for Unity and Peace.”
In a press conference on Thursday, Roger Banzuela, president and chairman of the technical and games committee of UNIGAMES congratulated the host university for making the stride to promote Iloilo City’s tourism and business sector through hosting the UNIGAMES.
Banzuela said there 2,500 delegates will be joining the event. He estimated that each athlete and coach will be spending P300 per day in their entire stay here, excluding transportation and pasalubong, which totals around P7.5-million additional incomes for tourism and businesses in Iloilo City.
At the same press conference, Fray Stephen Ong Tan, USA over-all chair of the steering committee for the UNIGAMES 2019, said ang athletes for the next two days (of UNIGAMES) athletes ni sila, if they lose the following day, tourists na sila.
“We also have travel and tours committee, there will come in ang negosyo, makadto sila sa Boracay, kadto sila kung diin-diin,” he said.
With over 1,300 athletes expected to compete in the UNIGAMES representing various colleges and universities from different regions in the country, the host university is buckling up the security, medical availability and billeting by tapping other institutions, hotels and accredited hospitals for their services.
Tan said Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions center will provide medical and peace and order logistics for all the delegates.
USA also has two clinics in Sambag campus and the main campus ready to respond to health emergencies all throughout the events. There will be volunteers from USA’s College of Nursing and they have tapped accredited hospitals in Iloilo City also.
“We are talking of 1,300 athletes and some of the sports disciplines have high risks mainly football, so in our planning, we made it sure that a medical team will be deployed to an area side by side with the security team,” Tan said.
Meanwhile, the billeting facilities are the air-conditioned classrooms in the USA main campus and Sambag campus in Jaro.
The arrival of the guests and delegates will be on Oct. 19, and the opening ceremony is on Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the afternoon.
UNIGAMES events include athletics, basketball, football, volleyball, and beach volleyball to be held at their designated venues in Iloilo City./PN
