DavNor Sports and Cultural Center

The Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center just opened its doors to the public Monday in time for the opening of the Davao Region Athletic Association Meet, a springboard event for hopefuls vying to compete in Palarong Pambansa. Located just across the provincial government of Davao del Norte in the capital city of Tagum, the DavNor Sports and Cultural Center is the first of its kind in Davao Region, featuring world-class facilities that are at par with the standards set by modern sports stadiums.

The all-weather, eight-lane rubberized oval track in the sprawling DavNor Sports and Cultural Center in Mankilam, Tagum City.

The construction of the said complex in the sprawling site in Barangay Mankilam built to the tune of 242 million pesos is truly a welcome development. Especially for me and my close friends who have seen the deteriorating state of the sports facility: from its obsolete and rotten wooden bleachers to the greenish water of the swimming pool. This is close to our hearts because we spent our high school years right next to this sports complex. We’ve seen how it became a dreaded place because gang members lurk in its dark and eerie rooms below the bleacher. We’ve seen helicopters carrying the President of the Republic land in its soil or even those rescue choppers carrying wounded military men from the battlefield. We’ve seen how the urn became a symbol of the dying state of sports in this part of the country.

On Monday, a new urn carrying the flames of sportsmanship reinvigorated our quest for sports excellence, making these entire bad images a thing of the past. There’s a new grandstand that could sit as much as 5,000 people, a new ten-lane Olympic-sized swimming pool with such inviting water, a clubhouse for sports officials and an all-weather rubberized oval track—a far cry from the pebbly oval track we used in our PE classes way back then. It also has a modern lighting system that makes night games possible. An outdated sports complex is now replaced with a modern one which government leaders expect to become a training ground for future sports stars in the province as well as boosting sports tourism in Tagum City. At this early, the province is eyeing to host the National PRISAA Games in 2014 and eventually, the Palarong Pambansa—the country’s largest sports conclave—by the year 2015, when Mindanao will have the chance to host it then, following the tradition of rotational hosting by the nation’s three largest island groups.

Thanks to the initiative of Governor Rodolfo del Rosario for this legacy: the Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center. Now that the facilities have been put in place, the task of producing home-grown champion begins!

The Aquatic Center of the New DavNor Sports and Cultural Center boasts of a ten-lane Olympic-sized swimming pool and a mini-grandstand. 

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy, Senator Pia Cayetano and DepEd Regional Director Gloria Benigno during the Opening Ceremony of DAVRAA Meet 2013 which was hosted by the Province of Davao del Norte.

Flame of Sports Excellence

Senator Pia Cayetano, dubbed by Governor del Rosario as the "Sports Darling of Davao del Norte" had the privilege of being the first person to run in the track oval. The lady senator was present during the groundbreaking ceremony of the complex years ago and now that the dream finally came true, she made sure to attend the DAVRAA festivities.

Under a moon-lit sky, the opening ceremony of the  DAVRAA Meet2013  was highlighted with a 15-minute grand fireworks display.