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FREE ACCESS. The facilities of the Ferdinand E. Marcos Sports Stadium in Laoag City is free for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, students, and minors aged 17 years and below. A fee of PHP30 will be collected on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for other visitors. |
By Leilanie Adriano
LAOAG CITY—The provincial government of Ilocos Norte has announced a new usage policy for regular goers at the newly-rehabilitated Ferdinand E. Marcos Sports Stadium in this city.
“Let's enjoy the stadium. It is a public venue and the use of the
facilities will be free for three days a week," Ilocos Norte Governor
Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc told reporters in a press conference.
To ensure the upkeep of the facilities of the 12,000-capacity
track and field stadium, a fee of PHP30 will be collected on Mondays, Wednesdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays, while the Olympic pool is free for everyone every
Sunday.
Exempted to this, however, are senior citizens, persons with
disabilities, students, and minors aged 17 years and below and who have valid
IDs since they may use the facilities for free for the whole week.
Funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), the
PHP1-billion renovation of the Marcos stadium, which was heavily damaged by typhoon
Ompong (Mangkhut) in 2018, forms part of the Ilocos Norte’s "Big 3"
projects.
This reopened in 2022 as
part of the provincial government’s sports program on preventive healthcare by
providing more outdoor spaces for people to improve their health and
well-being.
Aside from hosting sports events, the Marcos stadium serves as a
training ground for athletes and a regular hangout of runners and Zumba dancers
of all ages.
The old comfort rooms were repaired and more tennis courts with
enclosures were established in preparation for the hosting of the Palarong
Pambansa this coming April.