Naujan steps up
NAUJAN, Oriental Mindoro – The next sports hotbed in the Philippines may very well be this, the largest local government unit in all of Oriental Mindoro. The sprawling first-class municipality of Naujan has the one thing that everyone needs to be a powerhouse in sports: land. Lots of it, over 50,300 hectares spanning 70 barangays. And the current local chief executive intends to push local sports to the elite level. Mayor Joel Teves, a long-time public servant and former vice-mayor, donated land for the construction of the first competition track oval and grandstands in the town. The provincial government allocated funds, and the project was just recently completed. It is a well-designed, international-standard track. And to illustrate the seriousness of the municipal government in pursuing sports development, the new municipal hall sits right beside the spanking new tartan track.
