After careful deliberation, officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) have selected Tagum City, Davao del Norte to host the 2015 Palarong Pambansa. The city beat out five other bidders – Dipolog City, Pagadian City, Koronadal City, Lanao del Norte province, and CARAGA region.
Before announcing the results of the vote, Education Secretary Br Armin Luistro FSC asked for the support of the cities that were not selected. “This is a vote for Mindanao. This year we were surprised at the number of bidders. We hope that we still have your support.”
When asked what he expected from the host Luistro replied, “The only thing we need to expect is for Tagum to deliver.” He added, “Ang maganda sa Tagum ay mukhang handa na ang lahat. Hindi na kailangan pa ng dagdag na buwang preparasyon.” The Palarong Pambansa is held in May with hosting duties rotating yearly among the island groups.
Competitive bidding
Months before the official presentation, DepEd and Philippine Sports Commission officials inspected each venue to see if the facilities and billeting areas are adequate. PSC Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez reported to the body the rating system that they used, which included international standards, distance from the main complex, power supply, and security, among others. DepEd’s Schools Sports Events and Activities Unit Head Cesar Abalon reported on the status of the billeting areas, which are evaluated based on the adequacy of rooms, bathrooms, kitchen areas and medical provisions.