 The sports complex with theDe La Salle University campus in the foreground | |
| Former names | Rizal Memorial Field |
|---|---|
| Location | Manila,Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°33′50″N120°59′26″E / 14.563810°N 120.990623°E /14.563810; 120.990623 |
| Main venue | Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium Capacity: 12,873 |
| Other sports facilities | |
| Public transit |   Vito Cruz 5 6 7 14 17 23 24 25 27 34 38 40 42 48 49 52 53 P. Ocampo |
| Owner | City Government of Manila |
| Operator | Philippine Sports Commission |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1927 |
| Opened | 1934 |
| Renovated | 2019 |
| Tenants | |
| Philippine Sports Commission | |
National Historical Landmarks | |
| Official name | Rizal Memorial Sports Complex |
| Type | Sports complex |
| Designated | March 27, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-03-27) |
| Reference no. | No. 5, s. 2017 |
TheRizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC; formerly known asRizal Memorial Field[1]) is a national sports complex of thePhilippines, located on Pablo Ocampo St. (formerly Vito Cruz St.),Malate,Manila. It is named in honor of the country's national hero,José Rizal (1861–1896). The complex is currently managed by thePhilippine Sports Commission, while the property is owned by the Manila City government.[2][3] The complex also houses the administrative office of the PSC, and quarters for the Philippines' national athletes.
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Standing on the site of the former Manila Carnival Grounds,[4] the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (then known as Rizal Memorial Field[1]) was constructed in 1927 and was inaugurated in time for the1934 Far Eastern Championship Games.[4][5] The land was donated by the Vito Cruz family and the initial sports facilities - thetrack and football stadium, thebaseball stadium, thetennis stadium (later renovated into an indoor arena) and the swimming stadium - were designed by architectJuan Arellano in theArt Deco style.[4][5] It was planned and built by then-Public Works secretary,Antonio de las Alas.[1] Construction for amulti-purpose arena was begun in the 1960s.[citation needed]
During thePhilippine Commonwealth era, the sports complex was used as a civic area and was the site whereManuel L. Quezon was named one of the presidential candidates in the1935 elections.[4][5] It was destroyed during theBattle of Manila ofWorld War II, and reconstructed in 1953[4] (although the baseball stadium reopened in January 1946 after the floodlights was repaired.[6]) for use in the1954 Asian Games.[4][5]
Baseball legendsLou Gehrig andBabe Ruth once hit their first and second home runs ever, respectively, in the exhibition game held at the newly builtRizal Memorial Baseball Stadium on December 2, 1934.[7]
The Beatles heldtheir infamous, two sold-out concerts in the Philippines on July 4, 1966, at theRizal Memorial Stadium. The combined attendance was 80,000, with the evening concert registering 50,000 paying audience and became the Beatles' second largest concert ever.[8]
On November 22, 2016, then-Manila MayorJoseph Estrada announced that the city government is making a partnership with businessmanEnrique Razon to convert the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex into a commercial center which will include a mall and cinemas.[9] The group of Razon had expressed interest for the proposed urban redevelopment and modernization of the RMSC. The plan was to build-up contemporary buildings and commercial structures with modern smart technologies and amenities, as well as more greener open spaces within the property. A sports museum would also be construct here, while the facade of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum would be retained.[10] The PSC had reportedly planned to be transferred the facilities in the proposed Philippine Sports City (now namedNew Clark City Sports Hub) located inNew Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.[11] The move was criticized by various heritage groups and athletes, even including de las Alas' surviving daughters[1] with an online petition posted onChange.org was initiated to save the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex amid several reports on the planned redevelopment.[4][12] Estrada defended the redevelopment of the RMSC, said that no one uses the complex anymore and it became old, and antiquated.[4]
In April 2017, the sports complex was declared a National Historical Landmark by theNational Historical Commission of the Philippines and an Important Cultural Property by theNational Museum of the Philippines, ensuring the site's preservation due to the National Cultural Heritage Act.[13]
Because of the declaration, the Razon group later dropped its bid to redevelop the complex[4] and the Philippine Sports Commission halted its negotiations with the Manila City government on the planned sale of RMSC, instead it will be focused on rehabilitating the sports complex.[4][14] On August 7, 2019, both the PSC and the Manila City government (under the succeeding administration of MayorIsko Moreno) agreed to not selling the complex.[15]
On June 27, 2019, PSC announced that the complex will be undergo renovation for the2019 Southeast Asian Games,[16] afterPAGCOR donated₱842.5 million pesos to the PSC for the renovation of the complex in April 2019.[17] Renovation work began on July 8, 2019[18] Unlike the previous renovations which were minor,[17] the complex will have its major makeover for the first time since the rebuilding of the complex in 1953, with the coliseum restoring to its original look, and the addition of new installments to fit with international standards.[17][19] The renovation of the facilities inside the complex will not only used for the SEA Games, it will also used to host both future local and international tournaments from various sports and it can become home again of the UAAP, NCAA, and the PBA.[20] Proceeds from rentals would be used by the PSC to address the needs of the Filipino athletes.[20]
The complex was converted to a quarantine facility during thecoronavirus pandemic. It housed patients from thePhilippine General Hospital who have mild symptoms.[21]
| Venue | Purpose | Seating capacity | Year built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gymnastics Hall | Gymnastics venue | – | – | |
| Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Gym | Weightlifting venue | – | – | |
| Ninoy Aquino Stadium (PSC Multipurpose Gym) | Multi-use | 6,000 | – | Formerly an open-air stadium which was converted to an indoor arena. |
| Philippine Taekwondo Association Dojang | Taekwondo venue | – | – | |
| PSC Badminton Hall | Badminton venue | – | – | |
| PSC Bowling Center | Bowling venue | – | – | |
| Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool | Aquatic sports venue | – | 1934 | |
| Rizal Memorial Coliseum | Multi-use | 6,100 | 1934 | Formerly the Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium which was converted to an indoor arena. |
| Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium | Baseball venue | 10,000 | 1934 | Former ballpark of the Muntinlupa Mariners[22] |
| Rizal Memorial Stadium | Multi-use, primarily football | 12,873 | 1934 | |
| Rizal Memorial Tennis Center | Tennis venue | 1,578[23] | 1987[24] | Has seven tennis courts[25] |
| National Squash Center[26][27] | Squash venue | – | 2024[28] | Situated between the Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Set to hosts the only jumbo doubles squash courts in the Philippines.[29] Construction delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30] |
| Facility | Purpose | Year built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSC Administration Building | Office | ||
| Philippine Center for Sports Medicine | Office | ||
| Philippine Taekwondo Association Main Office | Office | ||
| National Athletes and Coaches Lounge | |||
| Athlete's Dormitory | Residence | Under-construction | [31] |
| Venue | Purpose | Year built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSC-ABAP Boxing Gym | Boxing venue | – | Demolished by 2024 for the Athletes' Dormitory[31] |
| Pencak Silat Gym | Pencak silat | – |
|
...Department of Justice has already ruled that Manila owns the area [RMSC].
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