At a glance

• Claim: The budget for the construction of the Sarangani Sports Training Center in Alabel, Sarangani is P3.5 billion.
• Rating: FALSE
• The Facts: There are two separate laws mandating the construction of two sports training centers: the Sarangani Sports Training Center Act and the Philippine Sports Training Center Act. The estimated cost for the construction of the Sarangani Sports Training Center in Alabel is P200 million, while the budget for the Philippine Sports Training Center in Bagac, Bataan is P3.5 billion.
• Why we fact-checked this: The post containing the claim has over 7,800 shares, 6,900 reactions, and 3,100 comments on Facebook, as of writing. It is also sent to the Facebook group “Fact-checking in the Philippines” for verification.

Complete details

A post by Facebook user Butch Ruiz Baliao on July 8 falsely claims that the budget for the construction and renovation of the Sarangani Sports Training Center in Alabel, Sarangani is P3.5 billion.

The post calls the training facility Senator Manny Pacquiao’s “scandalous” project.

At the time of writing, the post has garnered over 7,800 shares, 6,900 reactions, and 3,100 comments on Facebook. The claim was also sent to the Facebook group “Fact-checking in the Philippines” for verification.

This claim is false.

There are two separate laws mandating the construction of two sports training centers: the Philippine Sports Training Center Act and the Sarangani Sports Training Center Act. The estimated cost for the construction of the Sarangani Sports Training Center in Alabel is P200 million, while the budget for the Philippine Sports Training Center is P3.5 billion.

Senator Manny Pacquiao filed Senate Bill No. 1712 in 2018 seeking the creation of the Sarangani Sports Training Center. President Rodrigo Duterte signed it into law as Republic Act (RA) No. 11224 or the Sarangani Sports Training Center Act on February 22, 2019.

The law does not specify the budget for the facility, but a 2018 report from the Philippine News Agency said the estimated cost for the construction and renovation of the Sarangani Sports Training Center is P200 million.

Meanwhile, RA No. 11214 or the Philippine Sports Training Center Act is a separate law signed by Duterte on February 14, 2019, for the construction of the sports facilities of the Philippine Sports Training Center. Pacquiao also sponsored the senate bill it originated from.

Section 11 of RA No. 11214 says that the funding for the establishment and construction of the Philippine Sports Training Center is P3.5 billion.

The law does not specify where the facility will be located, but Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said in 2018 that it will rise in Pangasinan in 2022. It was later announced in May 2021 that the sports complex will instead be constructed in Bagac, Bataan after the provincial government donated six lots with a land area of more or less 250,000 square meters.

Both sports training centers will have amenities for administrative, sports science, medical, and dormitories for athletes and coaches. – Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com

Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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