DAVAO CITY – The Davao City government is almost complete in irs preparation for the hosting of the Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) Meet from February 17 to 23.
In an interview on Monday, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the city is 80 percent ready for the sporting event.
"We are doing our best to provide them comfort and convenience during their stay here during the DAVRAA 2018," she said.
The mayor said the city is ready in terms of security, logistics, sporting venues, and billeting areas for the young athletes who will participate in the regional sporting event.
"We are ready to receive them and we are truly honored that we are given the chance to host DAVRAA," she said.
Duterte-Carpio said there will be a run-through of what they prepared and other needs for the event before the arrival of all delegates in the city.
"A week before the event, hopefully, it will be ready and complete by that time," she said.
The mayor also bared that the city is fast-tracking its project for additional comfort rooms in the public schools which will serve as the billeting quarters of athletes.
The hosting of DAVRAA is a prelude to the hosting of the bigger Palarong Pambansa and other big sporting events in the country.
"Our goal is to help our tourism sector especially our retail, hotels and service industries here in the city. That is why we endeavor to host big sporting events," she said.
More than 5,000 security forces will be deployed in the city to secure the event delegates, players, and spectators of the regional sporting event. Tight security measures will be implemented especially in the playing venues and billeting quarters.
The Public Safety and Security Command Center will also deploy police officers and personnel in the billeting areas to prevent looting incidents inside the quarters.
Around 8000 young athletes from the region will converge in this city for the annual sporting event which is their road to the Palarong Pambansa.
This is the first time for the city to host the regional meet after its renaming from Southern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association in 2003. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
