Tagaytay grateful for hosting 10th Aero Gymnastics Asian meet - Tolentino

TAGAYTAY City - The Tagaytay City government is grateful for the hosting of the 10th Aero Gymnastics Asian Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, according to Tagaytay Mayor Brent Tolentino.

"We are grateful to PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio and GAP president Cynthia Carrion for choosing Tagaytay as the host of this Asian meet because it helps us to raise our profile as a tourist destination, especially with foreigners," Tolentino noted.

"This is why we have been pushing strongly for sport tourism because we have world-class facilities and amenities to go with it," added the son of Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino.

He cited the UCI-certified Tagaytay CT Velodrome, the current site of the meet organized by the GAP and sanctioned by the Asian Gymnastics Union, and the Tagaytay Combat Center as two of the modern sports arenas the picturesque city south of Manila has to offer. 

"We want to highlight these competition arenas as available venues for both top local and international events because staging them here is a major boost to our economy and our businesses," the mayor said.

"During Tagaytay's lean months, having sports events such as these also provide opportunities for our establishments and local industries so this (Asian meet) is a godsend," added Tolentino of the tournament also backed by the  POC and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Isa Braga of the Tagaytay Tourism and Cultural Development Office acknowledged that the major economic driver of the city overlookiig Taal Lake is tourism.

"There are 300 restaurants, cafes and other establishments that service our local and foreign tourist alike so whenever they are here, our tourism thrives and provides them with income-generating opportunities, raising our profile as a premier tourist destination,," Braga said.

PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio said this was the reason why selecting Tagaytay City as the site of the 10th Aero Gymnastics Asian Championshps was a "no-brainer."

"For one, who does not want to go to Tagaytay because of its accessibility to Metro Manlia,  a tourist's haven where one can relax, renew and enjoy the beautifiul scenery," Gregorio said.

"It also  gives us the opportunity for our foreign visitors to sample a different  ambience outside of the Big City while providing opportunities for those engaged in the Tagaytay tourism industry," he noted.

"This is a win-win situation for all."

Preliminaries in individual men and women, groups, mixed pair,  trio,  aerobic dance and aerobic steps acfoss the senior (18-year-old and above) junior (15 to 17 years old) and youth (12 to 14 years old) across began Wednesday .

Some  the finals  are set for morning and afternoon of Thursday.