The Department of Education has set a meeting with the provincial government and Negros Occidental High School stakeholders to discuss the fate of the Paglaum Sports Stadium in Bacolod City.

Gov. Joseph Marañon had announced earlier the provincial government's move to recover the sports stadium, which it had donated to the DepEd because of its failure to maintain the facility.

The DepEd has said that transferring the running of Paglaum to another entity, other than the provincial government, is out of the question, Jose Ma. Valencia, chief of staff of Gov. Joseph Marañon said yesterday.

The DepEd is agreeable to a meeting with the provincial government officials and NOHS stakeholders, Valencia said.

We are presenting the DepEd a master plan for the development of the Paglaum Sports Complex in order to make it self sustaining and to support NOHS in improving it teaching capability, he said.

We want private sector participation that is why we have asked the alumni association, a later on the student body, to get involved, he said.

The province and the alumni are willing to invest but it must be done in accordance with a master plan approved by all the parties, Valencia said.

The sports stadium needs major structural examination and repair to make it safe for the students and the public who use it, Valencia said. If we improve the facilities the students can go into sports activities other than just basketball and football, he added.*CPG

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