The 30th SEA Games currently being held in our country
was successfully launched through festive and glittering ceremonies last
November 30. And this is due in part to the venue where it was held – the
Philippine Arena.
The venue alone has made the ceremonies several
notches grander than the previous ones held in other countries. For those who
are not yet in the know, the Philippine Arena is the world’s largest indoor
arena, with a maximum seating capacity of 55,000! If I didn’t think of writing
this article, then there is no way that I would come across this breathtaking
fact.
Singapore has its National Stadium which can also
house 55,000 people. However, it is a stadium and not an arena, which are two
different categories. A stadium has a retractable roof, while an arena is an
enclosed dome with no retractable roof (ours is fully air-conditioned if I may
emphasize). Hence, the two should not be compared, for both our kings in their
own category.
I initially thought that the Philippine Arena is a stand-alone
mega facility. But my research tells me that it is actually a part of Ciudad de
Victoria, and it stands mightily inside this 140-hectare tourism zone in Bulacan,
encompassing the municipalities of Bocaue and Santa Maria.
Now, who is or who are responsible for the construction of the Philippine Arena?
The Christian sect Iglesia ni Cristo, through their
members’ voluntary offerings, was the one who built the Philippine Arena. And
it is for this reason why PHISCOG Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano during his
speech during the opening ceremonies, expressed gratitude to Ka Eduardo Manalo,
Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
And so thank you to our INC brothers and sisters for your
generosity in building the Philippine Arena, and thank you to Iglesia Ni Cristo
for the collective generosity in providing the venue for the 30th
SEA Games’ Opening Ceremonies. The success of the opening ceremonies of the games is due in part to your generosity. Mabuhay kayo!
Hence, the title of this latest blog piece.
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment