Ormoc City Government Spends Php 32-M For Regional Sport Meet

The city government here spent almost Php 32 million to host the week-long Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA).

Citing a summary of expenses from the city budget office, Mayor Edward C. Codilla has spent Php 31.7 million for EVRAA.

The amount doesn’t include the provision of 17 transport vehicles to the delegations as well as the fuel, oil and lubricants that go with it.

The city also set up a trade fair at the plaza quadrangle and 12 tourism booths at the city hall. The trade fair has 20 booths selling native products from the islands of Leyte, Samar and Biliran.

Expenses for the trade fair and tourism booths were not included in the Php 32 million outlay.

Of the Php 32 million cited, Php 10.3 million was spent for the rehabilitation of damaged sports facilities and the construction of new ones, as well as Php 2.44 million for the restoration of covered community basketball courts. “To tell you the truth,” Php 32 million is a huge amount. But from what we saw, the budget seems small,” Codilla said, referring to the extravagant opening ceremonies that included an elaborate flag dance from students of Eastern Visayas State University-Ormoc campus and a pyro-musical display.

This was followed by a grandiose Welcome Dinner at the Superdome.

“We accepted the challenge to host the Evraa to enable the children to move on from the trauma brought by (super typhoon) Yolanda and the calamities that came after,” he said. (PNA) RMA/SQM/FNC/EGR