Philippines gets green light as ’19 host

MANILA, Philippines -  Amid all the previous apprehensions, the Philippines has once again declared its readiness to host the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.

The development came just two days before the Philippines was to formally inform the SEA Games Council in Kuala Lumpur whether or not it was sill hosting the next SEA Games.

Saving the country’s fourth hosting of the SEA Games after 1981, 1991 and 2005 was the initiative of Foreign Affairs Secretary Allan Peter Cayetano and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go.

It came at the last minute, and when most people thought that the Philippines had given up the right to host the 30th edition of the biennial event.

Cayetano, a sports lover, is expected to make the official announcement. He is set to sit down with POC president Jose Cojuangco to discuss the most pertinent details of the hosting.

“Secretary Cayetano will make the announcement,” Cojuangco told The STAR on the phone yesterday even if the former congressman had confirmed it by saying, “Tuloy na (It’s a go).”

The Philippines grabbed the opportunity to host the 2019 SEA Games after Brunei begged off due to organizational problems. But while the hosting seemed to be in place, with Sen. Miguel Zubiri already being designated as chairman of the organizing committee, the Marawi crisis in Mindanao erupted. Ramirez said he was called to the meeting in Malacañang, and was asked point blank by Go if he was still “favorable” with the hosting.

“I said there was no problem. But it was really Secretary Cayetano who wanted to save the hosting. He asked me, ‘Puwede pa ba?’ and I said, ‘Wala pong problema.’”

Cojuangco will inform the SEA Games Council of the positive news on Friday, the day before the 29th SEA Games officially begins in the Malaysian capital.