The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the nation’s casino regulator-cum-operator, has awarded a PHP100-million (US$1.8-million) grant to the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, in the northwest of the country’s main island of Luzon.
The funds will support the construction of a sports and research facility, the agency said in a press release.
The grant was formally handed over on June 20.
The announcement cited Alejandro Tengco, Pagcor’s chairman and chief executive, as saying: “This project will not only uplift our athletes but will also inspire future generations and strengthen Ilocos Norte’s capacity to craft sustainable world-class sports programmes.”
The grant will partially finance the Ilocos Norte Sports Institute and Research Training Development Center and Dormitory, described as a flagship project with a total cost of PHP400 million.
Once completed, the complex “will serve as a hub for high-level athletic training, sports science research, and athlete housing, which should help raise the bar for sports development in Northern Luzon,” added the release.
The facility is said to be part of Ilocos Norte’s “commitment to creating an environment where local athletes can thrive, compete at national and international levels, and access modern training and support systems”.
