By Anthony Giron
TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite—Officials have assured the services and security for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games’ sites in this prime tourist destination city.
(Ali Vicoy)
The SEAG’s cycling, BMX and skateboarding are set from December 1 to 12 at the sprawling local oval and field near the Tagaytay City Hall.
City Tourism and Cultural Development Officer Jelanne R. Mendoza said that the plans and measures in terms of services and security for the Games’ participating athletes, officials and other participants are now in place.
The new skateboarding and cycling-BMX sites in Tagaytay will be ready in time for the Nov. 30 SEA Games opening ceremonies at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
“We are getting ready to welcome the SEA Games’ athletes, officials, other participants and visitors with the preparations made in Tagaytay,” said Mendoza as she cited that the local and foreign athletes will be billeted in five to seven hotels in the games’ duration.
Even as there was no threat with regards to the staging of the SEA Games, the PNP and the other law enforcement agencies will not let their guards down particularly in the games’ venues.
Mendoza said that the Games’ athletes and officials in Tagaytay will be billeted in five to seven hotels in the city
“We cannot reveal the hotels where the Games’ athletes and officials will stay due to the confidentiality agreed upon with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and other concerned authorities,” said Mendoza.
Definitely, security will be tight for the SEA Games in Tagaytay, Mendoza said as she cited that some 400 police officers and men will be deployed at the city games’ sites and strategic areas as one of the measures.
Colonel Marlon R. Santos, Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) officer-in-charge, had made his rounds at one of the hotels and elsewhere last Saturday to check the security measures and the readiness for the SEA Games.
The local Traffic Management Office will also implement the one-way traffic scheme during the 12-day Games’ duration in the city..
The round-the-clock traffic scheme covers Jose P. Rizal Street in Barangay Maharlika, the two kilometer-stretch from Petron Marhalika to Hagdang Bato, Barangay Mendez-Crossing East and the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road leading to Batangas province.
Authorities said that the SEAG’s skateboarding competition venue at the Tagaytay Oval is now 99.5 percent ready.
The Skateboarding and Roller Sport Association of the Philippines reported that the national skateboarding team has started practicing at the Tagaytay site last week.
Skateboarding will be played for the first time in the SEA Games. At least seven countries namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are competing in the skateboarding sports.
Aside from the hurdling skateboarding and cycling-BMX games in the turf, all the participating athletes and officials will be treated to a side tour to see the alluring panoramic view of Taal Volcano and Lake and other spots in the city.
The SEAG participants will also enjoy the cool climate and the serenity, beauty and splendor of the scenes in the ridge city.
The Department of Tourism tagged Tagaytay as the top tourist destination city through the years in Region IV-A or the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) area. (Anthony Giron)
Source: Manila Bulletin
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