Cojuangcos to 'donate' 50 hectares for training center

MANILA, Philippines - Part of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s plan to be independent from the government when it comes to providing the needs of the national athletes is the setting up of its own training center in the north.

Jose Cojuangco, POC president, has already come up with the idea, which calls for the Cojuangco Group of Companies to “donate” 50 hectares of land inside the vast Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.

The sugar-producing Hacienda Luisita comprises of 6,400 hectares.

“This is part of the POC’s long-term program for the national athletes,” said Cojuangco who thought of Luisita after his previous plan of setting up the training and housing center inside the Clark airfield in Pampanga.

“This is where we will house and train our elite athletes,” Cojuangco said during last week’s PSA Forum where he mentioned the plan that should require more than a billion of pesos in funding.

Cojuangco is still in Kuwait for a meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia where he had the chance to talk to International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge the other day.

The POC chief was also scheduled to meet with the Prince of Saudi Arabia yesterday and other IOC officials for possible funding or securing a grant for the setting up of the sports complex.

If successful, the POC will pattern the program after that of the United States Olympic Committee, which has its own training centers in California, Colorado, New York, and an education center in Michigan.

Jose Romasanta, POC spokesman, said the plan has already been approved in principle by the CGC board.

“It’s not actually a donation but the land will be leased for P1 a year for 50 years. But the land to be used will have to be identified first – which part of the estate would be used,” he said.

Cojuangco, who served as vice mayor, mayor and congressman of Tarlac, left for Kuwait last Tuesday carrying his letter of proposal for the NOC and IOC.    – Abac Cordero