Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon questioned the government’s allocation of P55 million for a cauldron to be used in the torch lighting ceremony at the SEA Games 2019, which will be held in the country this November.
According to Drilon, the amount could be used to build 50 classrooms.
“We do away with 50 classrooms to build a P50-million kaldero that we use only once? I am not even talking about overpricing. I’m talking about propriety,” Drilon said.
At a Senate hearing on the Bases Conversion and Development Authority’s (BCDA) funding proposal, BCDA head Vince Dizon explained that cauldron construction would be a symbol of the Philippines at the SEA Games.
Filipino architect Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa designed the P50-million worth cauldron for SEA Games 2019.
According to Sen. Sonny Angara, the design cost was P4.4 million, while the cauldron’s foundation was P13.4 million. The construction costs P32 million.
Angara also said the government wants the Philippines to be a great host of games and showcase the country’s “ingenuity” and creative designers.
The Philippines will host the 30th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games from November 30 to December 11, 2019.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that it would deploy 27,440 law enforcers to tighten the security in the upcoming Philippines SEA games 2019.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that it was unlikely that a terrorist attack would occur during the event.
The SEA Games’ opening ceremony will be on November 30 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan while the closing is on December 11 in New Clark City, Pampanga.