“LET US give it to them (incoming administration) to decide their priorities for the City of Bacolod.”

This was the reaction of reelected Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran after Mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez has announced plans to repurpose the funds for the construction of Bacolod MassKara Coliseum in Barangay Alijis into a "cheaper and simpler" convention center or trade center.

It can be recalled that the Bacolod MassKara Coliseum worth P800 million is one of the priority projects of the city government led by outgoing Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

It was funded through the P1.7-billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBM).

“It will depend on the incoming administration if they will push through the project or not,” Familiaran said.

Benitez, who met with officials of the City Engineer's Office and DBP at the coliseum construction site in Barangay Alijis on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, earlier said the move would allow the local government to realign the budget for redesigning and rebuilding of the city's public markets.

Also present at the meeting were Bacolod Lone District Congressman Greg Gasataya, councilors-elect Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Al Espino and, Jason Villarosa, lawyer Caesar Distrito and Homer Bais.

The proposed site forms part of the 8.8-hectare land to be used for the South Public Terminal, museum and coliseum along Barangay Alijis donated by the Yanson family.

Espino said the DBP already released about 30 percent of the funds for the Bacolod MassKara Coliseum.

“We are on the process of examining where the position of the city is. So we already inspected the site for the coliseum and we are determining where we stand, and part of that is the ocular inspection,” he said.

The project was awarded to the Jejor’s Construction Corp.

Espino disclosed that the administration of Benitez will implement all their plans and projects that they had promised during the campaign.