By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Bago City government has ramped up preparations for the upcoming Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Under-16 Boys’ National Championship Group Stage, with officials convening a coordination meeting to finalize hosting plans.

Bago Mayor Mayette Javellana, along with Executive Assistant Tin Javellana, led the meeting that brought together heads of key city departments to ensure the smooth staging of the national tournament.

Also present was Cocoy Treyes of the Negros Occidental Regional Football Association’s (NORFA) competition division, signaling the start of final technical preparations.

The session served as a comprehensive briefing to align local resources with PFF hosting requirements.

City agencies outlined their respective roles for the event.

The Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection will oversee security and fire safety measures, while the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is preparing emergency and medical response protocols.

The City Health Office will deploy medical teams on standby, as the City Environment Office and General Services Office (GSO) take charge of venue sanitation and waste management.

Meanwhile, the engineering department and GSO are ensuring that facilities, including the playing pitch and amenities, meet competition standards.

To support promotion and visitor experience, the City Information Office, Tourism Office and executive staff are coordinating communications and hospitality efforts, positioning Bago as a key sports tourism destination.

NORFA enters the group stage as one of the favorites following an unbeaten campaign in the Visayas qualifiers.

Hosting the matches in Bago City is expected to provide an added advantage for the local side.

With preparations in full swing, the city is set to host the tournament featuring some of the country’s top young football talents beginning later this April./ASC, WDJ