PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Officer-in-Charge and Commissioner Celia Kiram and Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucio Bayron formally signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the Batang Pinoy Finals hosting on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“We are grateful to the PSC for choosing us to host this event,” Bayron said.
PSC Chairman William Ramirez, through Batang Pinoy Project Director and PSC Deputy Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr. also thanked Puerto Princesa for accepting the offer of PSC.
One of the center-piece grassroots program of the PSC for the youth, the Batang Pinoy will have its national finals from August 25 to 31.
The event will strictly implement a “zero plastic policy” during the games as mandated by Presidential Proclamation No. 760 of 2014 and Republic Act 9003 or the Ëcological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
According to Iroy, the PSC is looking into partnering with a private firm to offer buko as a natural hydration alternative. They will set the guidelines on the policy that will be implemented in the Batang Pinoy program for the first time.
More than 6,000 athletes and 4,000 officials, working staff and spectators are expected to converge in the Palawan capital for the 31-sport competition.
Competitions will be in archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, futsal, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, indoor and beach volleyball.
Also on the program are cycling gymnastics, judo, billiards, muay, rugby football, triathlon, soft tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
The PSC will donate P16 million worth of sports equipment to Puerto Princesa as part of their cooperation agreement.
“We also want their athletes to have more chances to train with proper equipment, that is why we donate these to LGUs who host our multi-sports events,“ Kiram said.