BACOLOD City – The construction for two big projects worth P963 million in this in this city will kick start earlier this year.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia made the announcement during the city’s New Year’s countdown at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds on Tuesday.
He said the construction of the P800-million Bacolod Masskara Coliseum will start this month, while the construction for the P163 million worth Bacolod Museum will be in the first quarter.
The budget for the construction of the Bacolod MassKara Coliseum will be from the P1.7-billion loan of the city government from the Development Bank of the Philippines.
The loan will also fund three more flagship projects under the administration of Leonardia, who won in his reelection bid as city mayor in the May 13, 2019 midterm elections.
The other projects are the P350-million development of the Progreso Village Relocation Site, the P350-million site and facility development of the city-run Bacolod City College; and the P200-million roads and bridges construction program.
Leonardia said that the coliseum is fully air-conditioned and can accommodate about 10,000 people.
Earlier, Negrense Sen. Miguel Zubiri assured that he already lobbied the P163-million budget intended for the construction of the museum.
Zubiri said the structure is not simply a museum but will have an auditorium where events, meetings and other activities can be held.
He added the structure will have a leaf design and is not a traditional museum but a combination of a historical and modern building or a little version of the Sydney Opera House.
He also described it as an iconic and historic structure that will be one of the tourist attractions of Bacolod City in the future.
The coliseum and the museum will be built in the 7.4-hectare property donated by Vallacar Transit, Inc., Yanson Realty Development Corp., and Olivia V. Yanson in Barangay Alijis, this city.
“When the two big projects are already there in the new growth area, Bacolod will never be the same again,” Leornardia said, adding that 2019 was a better year for the “City of Smiles.”
Leonardia led the 2020 countdown together with his family, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and some city officials, department heads, barangay officials.
About 20,000 crowds have joined the countdown and witnessed the fireworks display./PN
