JORDAN, Guimaras – The completion of the new P300-million three-storey provincial capitol of Guimaras has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Construction started in February 2019 at the site of the demolished 50-year-old old capitol here.
It would have been completed this year but the pandemic slowed down the work, according to Vice Gov. John Edward Gando.
The edifice may likely be finished in 2022 at the most, said Gando.
The fund for the construction was a loan from Land Bank of the Philippines.
According to Gando, the ground floor would house frontline service offices for the convenience of the transacting public such as the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, among others.
The second floor would host the offices of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan while the third floor would be for the Office of the Governor and others.
The new capitol would have an elevator.
At the moment, provincial capitol’s temporary offices are scattered around the capitol compound.
Guimaras was a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22, 1992.
The province was originally composed of three municipalities: Buenavista, Jordan and Nueva Valencia.
In 1995, through Republic Act No. 7896 and Republic Act No. 7897, the municipalities of Sibunag and San Lorenzo were created.
The two new municipalities officially acquired their municipal status after the May 8, 1995 plebiscite held simultaneously with the local election./PN
