MANILA — A Catholic prelate on Friday said he will pray for all Filipino athletes who will participate in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which the country is hosting for the fourth time.
At the same time, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged all Filipinos to support the Philippine delegation to the biennial regional sports event which is set to start on Saturday and will run until December 11.
“We pray for them and we support them by following the games in TV and social media,” he said in an interview.
Pabillo added that the people who will not be able to watch live games can show their support in other ways.
“We can also give them moral support through our social media posts. Those who are able can watch the games live,” Pabillo said.
The sporting event will officially start on Saturday, with the opening ceremony to be held at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Other venues for the games will be held in Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon.
There are close to 10,000 athletes who will compete in 529 events of 56 sports in 47 venues.
Aside from the host nation, the other participants are from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
The Philippines has hosted the 1981, 1991 and 2005 editions of the games. (PNA)
