PAI president and congressman Eric Buhain (in red shirt) joins Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman John Pages (rightmost) along with PAI vice president Jessie Arriola and fellow PAI officers pose for a group photo in front of the CCSC pool. | Photo by Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) president and Batangas First District Rep. Eric Buhain has praised the newly renovated pool at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), expressing his confidence that this facility is poised to host national and even international swimming competitions.
Buhain is one of the country’s sports bigwigs who is in Cebu City for the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Buhain was deeply involved in the swimming events at CCSC on the second day of the Palarong Pambansa on Friday.
He was joined by PAI officers, including Vice President Jessie Arriola, while Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman John Pages welcomed them at the meet.
In an interview with CDN Digital, Buhain was wowed by CCSC’s pool which underwent massive renovation in 2023 for the Palarong Pambansa.
“Ang ganda, Cebu City did a great job of the renovation. I remember coming here when I was still coaching and when I was still the PSC chairman. May office pa nga kami dito, iba ang itsura ngayon, it’s very welcoming,” said Buhain who is also a former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman and international swimming champion.
With his positive feedback on CCSC’s pool, Buhain is confident it can host many national and even international swimming meets.
“I think you’ll be able to host many, many national and even international competitions,” added Buhain.
“Actually that’s why we’re here, kaya kasama ko yung aking vice president and executive director, para makausap ang mga possible international competitions. We’re creating the network sa Asia to invite people. Marami kasi kaming competitions available, it’s the willingness to host.”
He said that he would bring up the hosting possibilities to Pages during the rest of his visit here.
“Well, I just met John Pages right now, but we will bring it up with him,” Buhain explained.
Besides the top-notch Olympic-sized pool, Buhain added that Cebu City’s prime location makes it a perfect venue for big swimming events.
“Maganda kasi ang location ng Cebu City. Unang-una sa lahat it’s in the city, second the hotels are just around here. That’s a combination na mahirap talunin comparitively. Something like this is probably equivalent to the Rizal Memorial Stadium na pareho din sa Manila. Katabi mo mga hotels,” he explained.
READ: CCSC pool boasts brand-new features and facilities
Palarong Pambansa 2024 in Cebu opens
Also, Buhain wanted to see the Palarong Pambansa tankers which have been breaking records after records in just two days into the competition.
“I just wanted to see the swimmers, check the time, and see who’s improving. Hopefully, we’ll see them in the future, I’ve been hearing maraming national records broken here. So, that’s a great result, maganda, and positive results siguro because of the pool also,” he added.
The CCSC pool which required a facelift and an extended practice swimming area was part of the estimated P65 million budget for the facility’s renovation which includes the new rubberized track oval.
The 10-lane 50-meter CCSC pool boasts a brand-new (Pentair) Filtration System to ensure the cleanliness of its water.
Additionally, it has international-standard starting blocks and anti-wave lane lines to minimize waves during competitions. It also features a brand-new shower and bathroom. It also includes a brand-new 25-meter warm-up/practice pool that replaced the old kiddie pool on the side. /clorenciana