BAGUIO CITY — The City Council, recently, approved the request for additional funding for the city’s sports fund amounting to P12 million for the preparation of the athletes participating in the annual grassroots program of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Philippine Youth Games or Batang Pinoy National Championships 2024 that will be held 2024 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, on November 23—28, subject to availability of funds.

The fund allocation was contained under Ordinance No. 53, series of 2024 for the local government to field its delegation to the annual grassroots sports competition.

Earlier, the council considered a letter dated August 30, 2024 of City Administrator Bonifacio dela Pena requesting additional funding for the city’s sports fund amounting to P12 million to prepare Baguio-based athletes participating in the annual grassroots program of the PSC, particularly the Philippine Youth Games or Batang Pinoy National Championships scheduled on December 15-20, 2024 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

He explained that the amount of PhP7 million will be spent on the participation of athletes in the Batang Pinoy while PhP5 million will augment the current incentives fund which is already depleted.

However, in an official statement dated September 12, 2024, Executive Director and Project Director Paulo Francisco C. Tatad of the PSC, Batang Pinoy National Championships 2024, stated that after the release of the Department of Education’s calendar, it was discovered that the period December 15-20, 2024 still coincides with school classes and as a result, the event will be adjusted from the earlier schedule to November 23-28, 2024 which is aligned with their mid-year school break. (Baguio PIO)