- Country’s leader backs Games organising committee head and politician Alan Peter Cayetano, who was criticised by a fellow lawmaker
- The cauldron was designed by one of the country’s leading artists, the late Francisco ‘Bobby’ Mañosa
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has had to step in and douse the flames of one Southeast Asian Games fire " just so another can burn brightly.
The country's leader has defended the price tag of the 50-million pesos (US$985,000, HK$7.6 million) cauldron at Clark City on which the Southeast Asian Games, also called the SEA Games, flame will burn from November 30 and December 11.
Duterte was backing politician and SEA Games organising committee chairman Alan Peter Cayetano, who was criticised by Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon over the 50-metre high cauldron " which was designed by late national artist Francisco "Bobby" Manosa.
"There can never be corruption in that situation because you commissioned a national artist," Duterte was quoted as saying at a press conference on Tuesday night. "It is a product of the mind. You cannot estimate how much (you are losing) because it is a rendition of the mind of the creator.
Official Cauldron of the 30th SEA games at New Clark City designed by National Artist for architecture, Francisco Manosa before he passed away last February.Filipinos should be proud of this and not fight. We are hosting the forthcoming SEA Games.ctto pic.twitter.com/3Zb0mrOAus
" jane abao (@kotawinters) November 19, 2019
"If that's the price of the artist, then you cannot control that. There is no extravagance there," he said.
The artist charged 4.4 million pesos for the design of the 3-metre wide cauldron while organisers paid 13.4 million pesos for the foundation and 32 million for its construction. The remainder of the costs goes for fuel to keep the flame burning throughout the event and other expenses.
Cayetano had earlier hit back after claims that the sporting facilities for the Games " taking place at three main hubs in Clark, Manila and Subic " were "overpriced and excessive".
"The cauldron is not one of the symbols " it's the symbol of the Games, whether it's Olympic Games or SEA Games," Cayetano was quoted as saying. "It's a work of art. While some people see it as a cauldron, we see a monument. We see the athletes, we see the burning flames that represent hope and the fighting spirit. We think it is just appropriate."
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The SEA Games feature 56 sports with around 530 competitions, with the organisers given a 1.5 billion pesos fund to finance the event. Of that, around 700 million pesos have been spent.
More than 9 billion pesos was spent to build the New Clark City Sports Complex that is hosting swimming and track and field, with Drilon saying it would have been better to spend 1.2 billion in renovating the Rizal Stadium in Manila.
Drilon said the money used to finance the cauldron could have been used for building 50 classrooms, to which President Duterte responded: "Well, that is debatable my friend, Senator Drilon. We build schools, yes. We build infrastructures for an Olympic event, yes."
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