THE close to a century old Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila has transformed from the country’s sports mecca to an extraordinary role as a quarantine facility during these Covid-19 pandemic times.
The Rizal Memorial Coliseum where many a basketball heroes earned their spurs and the not-that-old Ninoy Aquino Stadium (NAS) are the Philippine Sports Commission’s contributions to the government’s call for action to the virus crisis.
Embedded deep in the hallowed corners of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum is 64-year-old Romeo Teneza, the historic venues caretaker for almost three decades.
Just like all other frontliners, Teneza harbors no ills that his “home” has assumed a non-sport role.
“This will end, with God’s help,” Teneza told BusinessMirror on a hot and humid Wednesday midmorning. “After that, we will open our doors for sports events. There is hope.”
The Rizal Memorial Coliseum has yet to receive its first patient—the PUMs or persons under monitoring for the virus—unlike the NAS that is now tending to PUIs or persons under investigation.
“It’s sad. But it’s the order of the President [Duterte]. Nonetheless, it’s fine for us here. Rizal Memorial will be a big help for the people,” said Teneza, who is retiring from what he calls as an exciting job in October.
Built in 1934, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum was once the venue of big-ticket games of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and the Philippine Amateur Basketball League.
That is not to mention the countless international competitions staged at the coliseum, where the country’s legends of the game showed who’s boss in hoops in this side of the globe.
It was destroyed in the World War II and was reconstructed for the 1954 Asian Games, the only edition of the quadrennial continental games that Filipino athletes dominated.
The coliseum underwent several renovations until only last year when it was air-conditioned for the first time for the 30th Southeast Asian Games. The facelift cost P250 million, making Rizal Memorial a fitting venue for world champion Carlos Yulo’s exploits in gymnastics.
The hallways were refurbished, along with the seats, all 6,000 of them. The comfort rooms took toilet comfort to a higher lever and the façade was a major art-deco design.
But the past weeks have been challenging with the Covid-19 spreading its wrath, forcing President Duterte to utilize all resources available to combat the pandemic—another facility under the PSC, the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, is serving the same purpose.
“Rizal [Memorial Coliseum] has 100 beds. The facility is now functional, except for some minor works with plumbing,” Teneza said.
“The security is very tight. There are soldiers all over. The Ninoy Aquino is limited to health personnel only,” added the caretaker, who bared that even the small number of PSC staff are barred from the quarantine areas.
Teneza thanked the PSC, led by Chairman William Ramirez and Training Director Marc Velasco, who closely monitor the 16 employees who are the sports agency’s frontliners at the venue.
“They feed us well. Food is free. They even gave us PPE [personal protective equipment], alcohol and other things that we need,” he said.
For Teneza, it’s simply a matter of time when the whole world beats the virus.
“For now, all we need to do is to obey protocols…and most importantly, pray to God,” he said.