BACOLOD City – Business operations at the Bacolod Old City Hall have been temporarily suspended as the historic building undergoes significant renovations.
City officials announced that all offices within the old city hall have been relocated to various sites across the city to facilitate the construction process.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has moved to the Evacuation Center compound in Barangay Taculing.
Meanwhile, the General Services Office (GSO), the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) office are now housed at the Cybee Center.
Other departments have found temporary homes at the Bacolod City Public Plaza and the City Agriculture Office compound in Barangay Alijis.
Engineer Loben Ceballos, officer-in-charge of the City Engineer’s Office, confirmed that the construction site has been secured with fencing and no offices remain in the Old City Hall.
The renovation project, which boasts a budget of P223 million, is slated for completion next year.
However, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez revealed that an additional P80 million is required to complete the renovation, citing shortcomings in the original design which did not account for the second to fourth floors.
Plans to expand the second and third floors to encompass the fountain and driveway areas have been added to the project scope.
The funds for the renovation are part of a P4.4-billion loan secured by the city from the Development Bank of the Philippines./PN
