President Mulino emphasized: 'I sincerely hope this stadium becomes a breeding ground for great players.' Before local authorities and the community, Mulino highlighted the conversations between the government and the private sector to achieve the reactivation and completion of the project. 'We set the goal to pay for, order, and finish what others promised and left abandoned, because these works are for the people,' the head of state highlighted. On this same day, March 13, the new stadium will host the opening game of the 2026 Senior National Baseball Championship between the teams of Chiriquí and Colón. The remodeled facility has a capacity for about 5,000 fans and parking for 102 vehicles. 'For years, what was an illusion and a dream for thousands of colonenses was left abandoned, and not for lack of resources, it was a moral and ethical problem in the management of public funds,' stated President Mulino. Accompanied by the First Lady, Maricel Cohen de Mulino, the head of state took a tour through the history of the province, a land that has seen the birth of important glories from different sports disciplines. With this new home, the objective is to continue forming athletes in Colón, a province historically recognized as the cradle of Panamanian sports. 'We can say with pride 'promised and fulfilled,' because it is easy to speak, announce, and promise, but baseball is played in stadiums, not with empty words.' After almost nine years of abandonment, the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, fulfilled his commitment to sport by inaugurating the remodeled Roberto Mariano Bula baseball stadium in the city of Colón. It has commercial premises, bathrooms with locker rooms for athletes, 'clubhouse', batting cage, grandstand, gym, conference room, two bedrooms for 32 players, press booths, laundry, and infirmary. In addition to these specifications, the new stadium, which will be administered by Pandeportes, has a synthetic grass field with Major League Baseball specifications, suitable for holding games from the local league, international matches, and professional baseball. 'May this stadium become a symbol that with will, things can be done right,' highlighted Miguel Ordóñez, director of Pandeportes, at the inauguration ceremony, where also attended athletes such as the Major Leaguer and Hall of Fame member Mariano Rivera and the outstanding soccer players Jorge and Julio Dely Valdés, as well as members of juvenile and children's teams. The reactivation works of the Roberto Mariano Bula stadium were carried out by the Administración de Proyectos de Construcción, S.A. (Aprocosa) company, since the order to proceed with the work was issued on November 7, 2017, with a projected 20 months in its construction phase and an original contract cost of B/.15,591,271.76. He also recalled that a little over a year ago he promised to reactivate this work without requiring discussion tables and false promises, as was done in the past to the colonense people. 'I am direct—from pitcher to catcher—here is your stadium, and today is a day to celebrate because from now on everyone can enjoy this stadium as a place for the family's encounter with sports, and also as a space that will generate economic activity through national and international events.' Likewise, he highlighted the economic impact of the project in the province, which generated more than 350 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect ones, benefiting more than 50 local suppliers during the development of the works. 'When there is will, the people want something and the money is used correctly, the works are finished, just as we have done with other works like the Manuel Amador Guerrero Hospital in this province.' With this delivery, the athletes and fans of Colón now have first-level facilities that meet the specifications of Major League Baseball (MLB). The completion of this project follows the current administration's objective of rescuing public infrastructure projects that were abandoned by previous governments, affecting the population. The final total value of the contract would be B/.33.7 million. The ceremony was also attended by authorities, including ministers Juan Carlos Orillac (Presidency), Frank Ábrego (Security), Lucy Molinar (Education), Beatriz Carles (Social Development), José Ramón Icaza (Canal Affairs and Secretary of Goals); as well as Luisa Napolitano (manager of the Colón Free Zone), Andrés Farrugia (manager of the Savings Bank) and the governor Julio Hernández, among other local authorities.
