Baguio Athletic Bowl Pickleball Court Awaits P38.1M as Council Reviews 2026 AIP

Thebaguiochronicle reports a P38.1M allocation from the 2026 Annual Investment Program to finish the Athletic Bowl pickleball court, while city officials have placed the proposed court on the agenda as the city finalizes its 2026 AIP. That numeric allocation is the clearest budget signal so far as the Council examines capital spending for sports infrastructure in the coming fiscal year.

A separate report dated February 21, 2026, describes a session that involved the city treasury and an incomplete reference to engineering personnel, indicating technical and financial offices participated in the AIP discussions. The Baguio Chronicle text reproduced in the supplied material stops midword at “engineerin,” so full meeting notes and the complete account of who spoke and what was recommended remain to be obtained for verification.

The mayor has publicly announced a plan to convert the area behind the City Sports Office into a pickleball court, and the mayor’s office text notes that “several projects are underway at the sports center.” That phrasing connects executive intent to on-the-ground upgrades, but the supplied material does not identify the mayor by name, nor does it state whether the mayor’s conversion plan refers to the Athletic Bowl site or a nearby parcel behind the City Sports Office.

Source wording preserved in the reporting indicates two related but distinct threads: one item places the Athletic Bowl project on the AIP agenda for 2026 funding discussions as the city finalizes the program, while another states that the city “moves to finish the Athletic Bowl pickleball court with a P38.1M allocation from the 2026 Annual Investment Program (AIP).” The reconciliation here is that the project appears to be an ongoing effort that is now in the AIP process with a line-item figure attached, but the material does not confirm whether that P38.1M figure represents an approved disbursement or a proposed allocation pending Council action.

Key specifics still missing from the supplied material include the mayor’s name, City Treasurer and City Engineer identities, whether the allocation is newly appropriated or a reallocation, timeline for construction start or completion, budget line breakdown for works such as lighting or fencing, and contractor or procurement details. Journalistic next steps include obtaining the full February 21 Chronicle article and AIP draft or final documents, and seeking confirmation from the mayor’s office, City Treasurer, City Engineering Office, the City Council committee handling the AIP, and the City Sports Office to map the exact scope and schedule tied to the P38.1M figure.

As the City Council continues its review of the 2026 AIP, the immediate outcome to watch is whether the P38.1M allocation is confirmed in the finalized program and whether the mayor’s conversion plan for the area behind the City Sports Office is formally tied to the Athletic Bowl project; those decisions will set the timetable for finishing the pickleball court and for announcing procurement and construction milestones.