The City of Victorias in Negros Occidental is constructing a more than P50-million artificial grass football pitch in the Victorias National High School campus, the first ever in Western Visayas.

The international-sized and FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) standard 11-a-side synthetic turf pitch is expected to be completed in five months after the groundbreaking was held on April 27.

Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said yesterday the artificial turf is imported and can last for more than 20 years with good maintenance.

“In the Philippines, it is best to do an artificial turf than natural grass for football because of extreme weather conditions and relatively low budget for maintenance,” he said.

“This field is better than the field I used to play in Manila. The football community understands how impactful this project is. It will be a defining project of Victorias City,” the mayor added.

Benitez said he aims to make Victorias City a sports tourism hub in Negros Occidental and elevate its status as a premier destination for football enthusiasts in Western Visayas. (PNA)