MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) opened its headquarters, Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown (MBRB) at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, to the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Four firing ranges at MBRB’s Marine Corps Force Development Center will serve as the venue for nearly all shooting competitions of the tournament, retired Marine Brigadier General Frank Gudani, secretary general of the Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA), told Rappler on Wednesday, November 27.

The firing ranges were given a facelift and fitted with new equipment in the weeks running up to the official opening of the games on Saturday, November 30. The first shooting matches are scheduled on Monday, December 2.

Three of the four ranges are managed by the PNSA, and one, by the Marine Corps itself.

The Marine Corps’ own firing range has 3 bays with a distance of 50 meters.

The PNSA-managed firing ranges have 3 bays with a 25-meter distance, 28 bays with a 10-meter distance, and 30 bays with a 50-meter distance.

The firing ranges at the Marine Corps barracks will host the shooting competitions for Air Rifle, Mixed Air Rifle, Mixed Metallic Silhouette Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Mixed Metallic Silhouette Air Pistol, and World Association Precision Pistol Competition.

The trap or shotgun matches will be held in Subic Freeport.

The Philippine shooting team has 23 athletes. PNSA president and Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson offered anyone of them who would win a gold medal an incentive of P250,000, Gudani said.

Although there were reported initial plans to hold the shooting competitions at a venue in Clark Field in Pampanga, it was decided early into preparations that they would instead be hosted at MBRB, a source in the PMC said.

The 2019 SEA Games will officially open on Saturday, November 30, at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. It will close on December 11. – Rappler.com

Note: All photos above were taken on November 26, 2019.