We take exception to the Philippine Daily inquirer?s editorial last Sept. 25. We believe a great disservice was done to Araneta Center, which has always prided itself on being able to offer the best and widest choices of merchandise, entertainment and food to the greatest number at the lowest price. The centerpiece of the area, The Big Dome itself, is representative of this vision: to provide world-class entertainment within the reach of the ordinary Filipino ? the primary reason the Coliseum management has always strived through the years to keep ticket prices at reasonably low prices.
We categorically deny implementing any kind of discriminatory policy such as turning away ?people who looked ?madungis? or who came in slippers.? There is no dress code when purchasing tickets to the games. The official quoted in the editorial is wrong and will be reprimanded.
The move to request photo IDs prior to purchase of tickets to the UAAP Finals was not made to discriminate against the ordinary basketball fan but was done for security purposes. This has been a longstanding company policy ? not exclusive to Ateneo-La Salle games ? and initiated to ensure that students of the competing schools get to watch and support their respective teams. For the general public, 500 tickets were released on game day on a pay-as-you-enter basis. All these steps were taken to protect the students and basketball lovers everywhere from unscrupulous elements such as scalpers seeking to make a windfall at the expense of Coliseum patrons. In this regard, we would also like to enjoin everyone to join the fight against scalpers, which we are doing in cooperation with our police partners. Scalping is a crime as per Quezon City Ordinance No. SP-493, S-97 and Coliseum management is doing its best to help stamp it out.
To UAAP ticket buyers who were unable to secure tickets to the games, on behalf of Araneta Center, I would like to extend my heartfelt apologies. I am truly sorry for any undue stress this experience may have caused you. But please understand that tickets to an event are actually the property of the event organizer. We are happy that the UAAP has chosen the Araneta Coliseum as its home for many years now, but unfortunately the Coliseum does not control the distribution of tickets entirely. In fact, in the case of the UAAP Finals Games 1 and 2, we were only given a limited number of general admission tickets to sell at the box-office. Meanwhile, we are deluged with requests we cannot accommodate from sponsors, tenants, benefactors and friends of the Center.
Araneta Center pioneered and will continue to take the lead in championing the democratization of leisure?rich or poor, privileged or masa. The greatest good for the greatest number; this is our mission cum vision, which we will continue to pursue in the years to come.
MANUEL M. ATACADOR, chief operating officer, Uniprom Inc., Araneta Coliseum, Araneta Center, Quezon City 0810
