EXISTING SITUATION

Sports and recreational facilities in the municipality are limited. Residents of the three (3) barangays avail of crude basketball courts for their sports activities. A multi-functional gymnasium is located beside the municipal plaza. School playgrounds serves as secondary facilities but our mostly availed of by students.

Commercial sports and recreational facilities such as disco pubs and billboard halls are likewise presents. Residents also play chess and mahjong aside from watching tv/vhs/vcd and listening to radios.

Residents because of their exorbitant fees do not commonly avail of the town's resort facilities. These resorts cater to foreigners, excursionists and vacationers. Resident's use of the Nayong Kalikasan and other resorts facilities is commonly confined to the non-commercial parpheries of the man-made Caliraya Lake, the main features of the resort.

Table number 32 shows the type and location of available sports and recreational facilities in Kalayaan.

Source: Local Government

· With Disputed Area

With these limited available facilities, basketball and chess are he most popular activities engaged in by the residents especially the youths. Schools and professional groups are now introducing volleyball and tennis, respectively. Considering the presence of numerous lakes and rivers, youngsters and enjoy swimming.

Passive forms of recreation are television/beta watching, radio listening and movie going. Residents avail of the facilities of the nearby towns for these purposes.

The different schools integrated with regular academic activities undertake basic sports development program for the youth. Similar sports development program is also promoted through the district sports meet held yearly at the Lumban Elementary School. The district sports meet consists of various sports like basketball, volleyball, baseball, etc. and participated in by elementary and high school students of the different schools under the educational district of Lumban, which includes Kalayaan.
The Municipal Sports Committee looks after the development of sports and recreation at the municipal level. Said committee coordinates with the Barangay Sports Committees existing in all barangays. Sports activities coordinated by these groups are usually conducted during the summer season.

DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AND PROBLEMS

Available sports and recreational facilities in the municipality need proper maintenance and development because they are still considered inadequate to meet the needs of the residents. The facilities of the various resorts cater to the upper middle- income group and above. The lower middle income group and below are only provided with basic public facilities such as plazas, playground and basketball courts should be multi-purpose in nature. Permanent sites for basketball courts should be provided since this is the most popular active form of sports and recreation at the mass level.

In terms of age, groups, and requirements of the school-age group are satisfied, to a large extent, by the facilities provided for by the academic institutions. Pre-schoolers and the older cross-section of the population can make use of plazas and playground, therefore, need to be maintained and provided with adequate facilities in order to serve these groups at the optimum level. Noticeably absent are reading centers or library facilities necessary for mental development.

There is a need for additional municipal budget for sports development. Said funds would enable the Municipal and Barangay Sports Committee to successfully implement the sports and recreational development program.