(Photo courtesy of Baguio City Public Information Office)
BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City government is aiming to complete the rehabilitation of the Baguio Athletic Bowl before the end of 2026 as it considers hosting the 2028 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) meet.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said Monday that the sports facility would immediately reopen to athletes once construction and rehabilitation works are completed.
“Mako-complete bago matapos ang taon, magbubukas din agad para magamit na ng mga athletes natin (It will be completed before the end of the year and immediately opened for our athletes),” Magalong said in a phone interview.
During the last week of October, Magalong and other city officials inspected ongoing improvements at the Athletic Bowl, including the tennis court, track oval and youth convergence center, to evaluate construction progress.
The facility was closed to the public in late October 2025, while the tennis court had been closed since February of the same year.
According to Magalong, the inspections were conducted to identify construction concerns, monitor project implementation and ensure that rehabilitation works meet quality standards and completion targets.
He emphasized the importance of properly managing public infrastructure projects to ensure that residents, particularly young athletes, benefit from the improvements.
The planned reopening is also expected to strengthen Baguio’s preparations for a possible bid to host the CARAA meet in 2028.
Meanwhile, the city is preparing a delegation of 596 athletes for the Batang Pinoy 2026 National Championships scheduled for December 12 to 18 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
The delegation will also include 103 coaches and 57 officials.
With the Athletic Bowl still undergoing rehabilitation, participating athletes have been training at alternative venues across Baguio.
Track and field athletes are using Melvin Jones at Burnham Park, while golfers train at John Hay. Cycling preparations are being conducted in Loakan, skateboarding at Bayan Park in Aurora Hill, and bowling at Puyat Sports.
The national championships are expected to gather approximately 36,000 athletes, coaches and officials from different parts of the country, with competitions across 30 sports.
City officials said preparations are focused on ensuring that Baguio’s young athletes are ready for the weeklong national sporting event despite the temporary closure of their main training facility.
