Zubiri named Philsoc chairman

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri has been appointed chairman of the 2019 Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc).

Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez yesterday confirmed Zubiri’s appointment as head of the committee that will ensure a smooth staging of the 30th edition of the SEA Games.

Zubiri, who served three terms as congressman in the third district of Bukidnon before being elected senator in 2007, will be tasked to oversee the preparations and the actual staging of the next SEA Games.

As host, the Philippines will be hard-pressed to match its historic finish as overall champion the last time it hosted the biennial event in 2005. The Philippines finished sixth overall in the 2015 Singapore SEA Games.

Ramirez said Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco and POC vice president Jose Romasanta have been informed of the development.

Ramirez said Zubiri will sit down with PSC and POC officials next week to lay down the blueprint of the 2019 hosting.

Ramirez said President Duterte appointed Zubiri as Philsoc chairman to make sure the government will have full representation within Philsoc.

“The POC cannot operate without the government so the role of Senator Zubiri is to represent the President and the government in running the organizing committee,” said Ramirez yesterday.

“The senator will call for meeting next week,” he said.

He added that the PSC will take care of the funding while the POC will make sure the Filipino athletes are in top shape in time for the staging of the Games.

“It will be a collaboration among the organizing committee, the POC and the PSC. We will take care of the budget while the POC will run the technical aspect,” said Ramirez.

When the Philippines hosted the 2005 SEA Games, it spent close to P250 million, not including the amount spent in training the national athletes.

Zubiri currently heads the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship.

“It’s really a government activity,” said Ramirez.

Romasanta welcomed the early appointment of Zubiri as Philsoc chairman, saying there’s a lot of work to be done.

“There are committees to be formed and it’s better to have the heads of these committees named as soon as possible, and get everybody on board,” he said.

Romasanta said hosting the SEA Games is no easy task, and if he is asked, the hosting of the 2019 SEA Games ranks higher than the country’s participation in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in August.