MANILA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and two other major government venues for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will undergo a major facelift, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez said on Tuesday.

During the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum held in Manila, Ramirez said 842 million pesos (roughly 16.03 million U.S. dollars) from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) will go to the rehabilitation of the age-old venues, stressing that government agencies should have played a role in extending major support to help Philippine athletes in their quest to win titles of the SEA Games.

"We are making sure that there are 10 to 12 government sports facilities ready to assess, help the preparations of the Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee," Ramirez said, "We are hoping that all of these will be finished by September."

Other than the venues, also part of the PAGCOR appropriation is the refurbishment of the athletes' dormitory, construction of a new medical building with eight to 10 medical doctors, two nutrition halls, and an ecumenical chapel, according to the PSC.

"The sports facilities, dormitories, venues, halls, before the SEA Games will have new look," he added.

Ramirez said he is confident that the PACGOR will be able to release the amount as soon as possible.

During the forum, Ramirez also said the PSC will hold a general assembly with Philippine athletes and coaches to explain everything that the PSC has been doing to ensure a better performing for "Team Philippines" in the SEA Games.

Ramirez said there are 1,452 national athletes under PSC care at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and PhilSports Arena with 578 of them under junior development.

"This is the best chance (for the Philippines) to win medals in SEA Games even in the Olympics," he said.

2019 SEA Games, which will be held from November 30 to December 11, is the fourth time the biennial multi-sport event has comes to the Philippines, after 1981, 1991, and 2005.