ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. is open to the idea of redeveloping the Iloilo Sports Complex located in La Paz, Iloilo City through a public-private partnership (PPP), copying the scheme for the integration of hemodialysis centers in district hospitals across the province.
The Iloilo Sports Complex, also known as the Iloilo Sports Center, is a major multi-use venue for athletics events in Iloilo Province and Western Visayas.
It has an Olympic-size swimming pool, an oval running track, a football field, two volleyball courts, two basketball courts, two tennis courts and four badminton courts.
An indoor gymnasium is located 200 meters away from the main site.
The sports complex also occasionally hosts large gatherings, including concerts, and boasts a main stadium with a seating capacity of 7,000.
The Iloilo Provincial Government’s Iloilo Sports Development and Management Office manages the sports complex.
“The Iloilo Sports Complex is lined up as a potential candidate for redevelopment through PPP,” Defensor told Panay News.
He envisions transforming the sports complex into a world-class facility capable of hosting international games and events while also serving as a venue for various sports activities of government offices and public schools in the province.
“It would be beneficial to have private partners for development,” Defensor added.
He emphasized that this is a long-term plan, acknowledging the high maintenance and operational costs that the provincial government annually allocates to the sports complex.
In addition to the sports complex, Defensor is considering placing a proposed P500 million government center in Santa Barbara or Zarraga under a PPP arrangement. A few months ago, he approached the office of Special Assistant to the President Ernesto “Anton” Floirendo Lagdameo Jr. to request funding for the construction of the government center.
Defensor explained that the government center is crucial as it will host frontline offices of both the provincial and national government agencies. These offices are frequently visited by the public seeking assistance.
“Our vision is to have a government center that consolidates frontline government and national government agency offices in one location, making transactions easier for our constituents,” said Defensor.
He also plans to digitalize the systems of frontline offices located in the government center to streamline the processing and access of documents./PN
