• CHERYL G. CRUZ
An additional P1 million will be allotted by the Bacolod City government for furniture and riprapping works at the modern athletes’ dormitory at Romanito P. Maravilla Sr. National High School (RMNHS) in Barangay Estefania that was inaugurated March 24.
Mayor Alfredo Benitez, who led the blessing and inauguration of the P12.5 million dorm, said this is one way to show the city’s care and support for athlete-students of RMNHS, who have been winning medals in local, national, and international sports competitions, and bringing pride and honor to Bacolod.
“We need to support our athletes, provide facilities so they can continue winning medals,” he said and urged the student-athletes to continue their training and hard work.
The dorm, which was completed in seven months, has two separate bedrooms that can accommodate 32 athletes – 16 boys and 16 girls – each with individual beds and cabinets.
It also has a dining and cooking area, comfort rooms, an office, and a stockroom.
Benitez said he pushed for the dorm’s construction after seeing the decrepit shack where the RMNHS athletes had been staying while in training.
He said the new facility will “serve as a dedicated space for our outstanding athletes to train, rest, and excel,” adding it will also be open to athlete-medalists in the future.
RMNHS principal Gladys Gerona told the student-athletes: “The dormitory is for you. It is a place where you can grow stronger, build lasting relationships, and continue your journey toward success. We hope that it will be a home away from home, filled with opportunities for learning, development, and personal achievement.”
She thanked the city and all those who supported in making into reality “a space designed to nurture, not just the athletics potential, but the overall wellbeing of our athletes.”
The school takes pride in being “the home of champions and record holders” in the Palarong Pambansa and other sports competitions, both local and international. Gerona thanked coaches Miguel and Adriana Arca “for tirelessly and selflessly giving their best to train, guide, and mold our athletes to excel and give honor” to RMNHS and the DepEd Division of Bacolod.
Athletics coach Miguel Arca said he never dreamed to have such an impressive dwelling for his wards, but he is grateful that the city officials approved the funding for its construction.
“God is so good. This will serve as a big inspiration to our athletes to train more and bring honor to the city that continues to support them,” he said in a Philippine News Agency report.
One of the school’s bemedaled athletes, 11th grader Mico Villaran, also said he is thankful to Benitez for helping the student-athletes like him “have a comfortable place to stay after training.”
Villaran won the gold in 400m hurdles, 110m hurdles, and 4x100m relay in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa. He will compete in five events in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, from May 24 to June 2. | CGC
