Rizal Memorial Coliseum

The venue was used and renovated for the 2019 SEA Games. The renovation was funded from the ₱250 million given by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to the Philippine Sports Commission.[6] Renovation work which will cover both the interior and exterior of the facility began on July 8, 2019,[5] after getting approval from three government agencies, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).[4] ME Sicat Construction is the contractor for the renovation project which secured its role through bidding. ME Sicat hired the service of heritage conservationist and architect Gerard Lico for the renovation. Unlike the previous renovations which were minor, for the first time since the rebuilt of the coliseum in 1953, the renovation will be a major overhaul.[2][7]

The renovation process includes near restoration of the building to its state in the 1930s and the installation of new plastic seats and retractable seating system, flooring, plumbing, fireproofing, electrical system and for the first time in coliseum's history, air conditioning system, while keeping the original look of the building designed by Juan Arellano.[4][6][2][7] Lico and his team used the archival materials by the collectors to restore its original design including from Jorge B. Vargas (who was a founding member of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation and the first Filipino member of the International Olympic Committee).[6]

Part of its restoration are the repainting of the coliseum's color back into its original which is based from using paint scraping of the building, removals of add-on canopy that was added during the 1970s, metal dividers at the entrance, and wire mesh that separated the spectator area, discoveries of some of its original designs that were covered or removed during its previous renovations (such as the porthole windows and two side rooms at the lobby, and grillworks that bears the letters "T" and "S", referring the coliseum's original name), replacement of faux marble into a real marble, replacement of grillworks to floor-to-ceiling glass at the entrances, the addition of the art-deco style elements on its locker and comfort rooms and the addition of a replica of the original lightning fixtures at the main entrance which was removed during its previous renovations.[4][6] Also part of its restoration is the gallery room which is the exhibit of the old photographs, tickets and posters of some notable events held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex that are part of Vargas' collection.[6] Lico revealed that he spend his own money for the gallery room as it was not included of the renovation budget and he insisted to include it to make people connect with the importance history of the complex.[6][4] He added that the three government agencies didn't want the idea of gallery room but ME Sicat convinced them to approve it.[4]

As for the installation of the air conditioning system for the first time, Lico and his team removed the building's blowers, vents, and exhaust fans and covered the ceiling with a two-inch foaming insulation to absorb outdoor noise. They installed the ducts of the air-conditioning which are all in industrial style to match with the building's interior and also evocative of ocean liners, a significant element of industrialization during the 1930s.[6] The renovation made its capacity decreased from 8,000[3] to only 6,100.[6][4] The restoration work of the coliseum is in accordance to the plan by the NHCP, the agency which declared the complex as a "National Historical Landmark".[8] 285 workers are working for the renovation around the clock in 3 shifts.[7] This led both the UAAP and the NCAA expressed interest to hold their respective games on the coliseum again.[9] After only four months, the renovation was completed on November 27, 2019.[4] The coliseum hosted the gymnastics competitions during the biennial games.[7]