Bacolod City government led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez broke the ground for the P12.5-million athletes’ dormitory inside the campus of Romanito P. Maravilla Sr. National High School, the home of the track and field champions in the city.

“The athletes that bring honor to the city and bring home recognition when they compete abroad should be given decent living quarters,” Benitez said.

He said the facility, which will be constructed in Barangay Estefania and funded by the city’s Special Education Fund, will aid in the training and development of the athletes.

The dormitory, equipped with quarters for boys and girls that can accommodate 32 student-athletes, with an office and a dining area, is set for completion in 180 calendar days.

Among the school’s athletics champions are trackster Mico Villaran, the most bemedalled athlete in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa, winning the gold in 400-meter hurdles, 110-meter hurdles, and 4×100-meter relay, and thrower Airex Gabriel Villanueva, now a member of Ateneo de Manila University athletics team, who bagged the gold in discus throw and shotput in the 2024 National Open Championships and the 2023 Palarong Pambansa record holder in discus throw.

“We are very proud of our athletes because we did very well in local and international competitions. We would like to give them proper recognition and support for their training and development,” Benitez said. (PNA)