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Cebu City, Philippines ? Even with the wear and tear on the rubberized track surface of the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), replacing it at a cost of P20 million to P30 million will have to wait.
?Eventually we will replace it because the city government is in charge of it, but not right now,? said Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
?Only when we can make a sale of the South Road Properties (SRP) will we do all these things,? he added.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) turned down the City Council?s request for financial aid to repair the oval track due to big expenses made for the country's delegation to last month's Beijing Olympic Games.
Income from entrance fees and use of some of sports center facilities like the swimming pool, badminton court and dance studio is not enough for the major repair.
Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation that manages the CCSC, said the income is just enough to cover operating expenses like water and power bills.
He said the sports center earns an average of P20,000 daily but operating expenses reach about P600,000 a month.
Ballesteros said updated estimates for replacing the whole rubberized track surface range from P20 million to P30 million.
He said the track is still useable despite signs of damage like softened portions due to the heat of the sun.
He said reports about ?holes and craters? in the track were exaggerated.
?Some parts of it are only wrinkled because it is used daily and also the length of time being used is beyond the rubber's expiration date. But it is still useable. We are not holding a national event anyway,? Ballesteros said.
For the meantime, workers pour water to harden the rubber surface.
Ballesteros said there was no danger posed for runners using the track.
?I?ve walked that oval many times already. For sure the runners who use the track everyday already know where the liba-ongs are,? Osmeña said in jest.
The sports center was established in 1994 when Cebu hosted the Palarong Pambansa.
