After library, Cebu City’s sports complex will now be open 24/7 too

MANILA, Philippines – Granting the request of a netizen, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña confirmed on Tuesday, March 27, that the Cebu City Sports Complex, known formerly as Abellana Sports Complex, will be open to the public 24/7 starting Thursday, April 5.

Zion Kristoffer Isobal tried the tack used by another netizen, who had asked the mayor via his Facebook page if the city library could be remain ’round the clock, and whose request the local chief executive granted in a few days. 

Commenting on the mayor’s post about the library, Isobal said: “Mayor may I ask if that (24/7 library operation) would be possible to mirror with our sports complex in Abellana where we can have access to the running track 24/7 or extended than the usual 9 PM cutoff?” 

He said that if the sports complex would be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, employees of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies who work during the evening could still find a place to jog or run, and could still be fit.

Mayor Osmeña, in reply, said that the sports complex would be open 24/7 staring April 5, after the observance of Holy Week.

Isobal, a BPO agent himself, told Rappler that he had been entertaining the idea of making this request of the mayor for a long time.

“I usually jog two to three times a week. But, one time, I was apprehended by the caretaker because it was already 9 pm, and there were like many people who were still in the oval but were asked to empty the running track because 9 pm was their cutoff time,” Isobal said in mixed Visayan and English.

Since then, Isobal had hoped that Abellana’s running track would be made available, especially for people who work in erratic hours.

“At least we can have an avenue, some sort of a safe haven where we can jog, take a leisure walks or maybe run,” Isobal told Rappler.

He also emphasized that with a 24/7 sports facility, it is possible even for nurses or medical professionals who are in graveyard shifts to stay fit and have an active lifestyle.

Three weeks ago, Mayor Osmeña announced that the city library would be open 24 hours so students wouldn’t need to stay overnight in cafés or fastfood restaurants to study.

This came after netizen Mitch Roldan made the comment on Osmeña’s Facebook page, “Mayor, I’m also hoping and praying that you will consider having the public library be open for 24/7for us students who really need to study in a library setting.”

Less than 24 hours after posting the screenshot, Osmeña posted an update, saying that Rizal Public Library was being outfitted for 24-hour use. (READ: Quezon City Public Library open to operating 24/7) – Rappler.com