Preparations for 2019 SEA Games underway — Cayetano

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said on Wednesday that preparations for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December 2019 are now underway.

In an interview on DZMM, Cayetano said the games’ venue, which is the facility built for the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit at Clark Freeport in Pampanga, is now being readied for the SEA Games.

The venue can hold a 20,000-seater athletic stadium that can be used for various sports events and can also be turned into a concert stadium, according to the Foreign Affairs chief.

Additional facilities such as an athlete’s village, a dormitory for athletes, as well as a government workers’ residence, for those who will be moved to Clark, are now being built.

Cayetano disclosed that the total budget allocated for the project is P15 billion and is targeted to finish in September 2019.

“We are expecting between 15-20,000 athletes, officials, and tourists to come,” he said, adding that there are other related activities that could highlight the country’s tourism potential. — Alyssa Javier, INQUIRER.net/Intern /ee