To meet the lighting requirement set by FIFA in hosting international football games, the provincial government of Negros Occidental appropriated P40 million for the purchase and installation of new lights at the Panaad Football Field, Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa explained yesterday.
He said the existing lights at the Panaad Field, which is about 600 to 700 lumens, are already deteriorating and do not conform with the international standard of 1,300 to 1,400 lumens set by FIFA, Mapa said.
“There were complaints from the players during the previous games about the lights at the Panaad. We need to conform to the standard set by FIFA to continue hosing international competitions,” Mapa said.
The P40 million supplemental budget appropriated by the SangguniangPanlalawigan will be used to purchase four poles with flood lights that will get rid of unnecessary shadows and illuminate the field like it's daytime, the provincial engineer added.
The old lights, which were actually transferred from the Pag-laum Football Field to the Panaad Stadium several years ago, will be sent to Sagay City for the use of its football field.
“An additional P10 million budget has been approved by the SP to pull out the old lights from Panaad and its installation in Sagay Football Field,” Mapa said.
He added that the Provincial Engineer's Office does not have the equipment and the expertise to install these lights.
The provincial engineer explained the technical requirement set by FIFA after several sectors scored the provincial government for the P40 million appropriation for the lights in Panaad.
With the popularity of football in Negros Occidental, the Philippine Football Federation has included the Panaad Stadium as one of the venues for its international competitions.
The national men's football team, the Azkals, are scheduled to play at the Panaad on September 5, against Yemen for their match in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers.*NAB
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/August/25/sportnews1.htm