Sports

P55 million cauldron to be lighted for SEA Games

A cauldron worth more than P55 million that will be lighted for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games flame has been the highlight this week with some lawmakers voicing concern over the extravagant and unnecessary expenses incurred to build it.

Philippine Star columnist Bill Velasco itemized the making of the cauldron whose design alone cost P4.4 million.

According to a separate news report, the design was made by the late National Artist for Architecture, Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa.

The foundation costs P13.4 million while the construction itself costs P32 million. And another P6 million was spent for the wrist tags.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) handled the cauldron’s construction.

It’s reportedly made of high-grade steel that is 50 meters high. It also has a diameter of three meters.

The lighting of the cauldron is a practice that has been done since the time of the pre-modern Olympic Games, when the Greeks would use mirrors to light a flame at the site of the first Olympics and light a torch from the flame.

The funding for the cauldron is part of the P6 billion budget for the hosting of the international event in the Philippines.

Staff Report

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