For the first time ever, we will host the premier sporting event in the country–the Palarong Pambansa– from Sunday, April 21 to Saturday, April 27.
But as this is the week most participants start arriving (many teams have arrived and have been regularly training at our sports facilities), this is expected to be one busy week for all of us in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental.
About 30,000 people will be added to our population for one week, arriving through our airport, seaport, and bus terminals. Our roads will be filled with even more vehicles, especially during peak hours. Our markets and grocery stores will be teeming with shoppers. Even our hotels are already fully booked.
The ordinary Negrense is bound to experience some degree of discomfort with this arrangement. We may end up driving farther to avoid traffic, or doing things like going to the market or doing grocery shopping at other times of the day to avoid competing with the kitchen crew of the athletic delegations.
But we can very well say it’s all for a good cause. The Palarong Pambansa, after all, is the realization of a dream that was hatched in 1988. This is what propelled the construction of the Lamberto Macias Sports & Cultural Center, the reconstruction and further improvement of the Perdices Stadium, and the Lorenzo G. Teves Aqua Center.
Later on, the sports complex expanded with the addition of the Convention Center, and the adjoining hotel. All these efforts have been done in support of that one chance to successfully bid for the Palarong Pambansa.
Now, it’s here. This event is expected to pour in millions into the local economy. Many participants will want to explore the Province. Many will be asking for directions.
We may not be directly involved in the holding of the Palarong Pambansa but definitely, all of us have a stake in this big event. The least we can do is to be open, accommodating, and — best of all– hospitable to our visitors.
Indeed, we’re not called the City of Gentle People for nothing.
