TORCH RELAY. Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, listens as Southeast Asian Games head for torch relay Sandra Dy (right, seated) and SEA Games Organizing Committee Ceremonies Director Mike Aguilar (right, standing) explain to him the program for the Cebu leg of the sports event, during their Cebu visit on Oct. 23, 2019. His office said Dino will lead the SEA Games Cebu leg torch relay on Nov. 16, 2019. (Photo contributed by Danjick Lim)
CEBU CITY – Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino will lead the ceremonial torch relay for the Cebu leg of the upcoming 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, his office said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) said Dino will be joined by Mayor Edgardo Labella of this city and other personalities and prominent athletes to be officially picked by the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee.
“This momentous event will mark another history for our country, as host of the Southeast Asian games, and will foster even more brotherhood and camaraderie with other neighboring countries through sports,” Dino said in the statement sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The committee has planned to conduct a ceremonial torch relay across the country to mark the start of the sports event, specifically programmed to be conducted in a particular region.
The Visayas leg’s torch relay will be conducted in Cebu on November 16, the statement said.
Sandra Dy, member of the committee and head for the 30th SEA Games torch relay, said there will be 10 torch bearers who will be joined by 2,500 runners, who will pass the torch from each other until it reaches Cebuano Marathon Queen Mary Joy Tabal.
Tabal has been designated as the last torch bearer, she said.
According to the statement, the relay will be done on a 5-km. stretch within the vicinity of SM Seaside at the South Road Properties (SRP) here.
Students, police officers, Army personnel, and government employees will participate in the run.
Dy said the runners can participate without fees. They will be given free T-shirts as well.
The relay will start at 5 p.m., to be followed by a lighting ceremony and a short program.
The 30th SEA Games scheduled from November 30 to December 11, will be joined by 11 nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
About 56 sports competitions will be spread over four venue clusters in Clark, Subic, Manila, and Tagaytay. (PNA)
