Bacolod City mayor-elect wants to repurpose Bacolod MassKara Coliseum

BACOLOD. Bacolod mayor-elect Alfredo Benitez wants to repurpose the funds for the construction of the city’s coliseum into a "cheaper and simpler" trade or convention center. He met with officials of the City Engineer's Office and Development Bank of the Philippines at the coliseum construction site in the city's Barangay Alijis yetserday, May 25. (Contributed Photo)
BACOLOD. Bacolod mayor-elect Alfredo Benitez wants to repurpose the funds for the construction of the city’s coliseum into a "cheaper and simpler" trade or convention center. He met with officials of the City Engineer's Office and Development Bank of the Philippines at the coliseum construction site in the city's Barangay Alijis yetserday, May 25. (Contributed Photo)

WILL the construction of the proposed Bacolod MassKara Coliseum worth P800 million push through?

This question surfaced on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, as Bacolod City Mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez bared his plans to repurpose the funds for the construction of the structure into a "cheaper and simpler" convention center or trade center.

Benitez, who met with officials of the City Engineer's Office and Development Bank of the Philippines at the coliseum construction site in Barangay Alijis yesterday, 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 construction of P163-million museum-auditorium project, which was facilitated by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, was supposed to start in the first quarter of 2020 along with the construction of the Bacolod MassKara Coliseum but the onset of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic halted it.

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

Outgoing City Mayor Evelio Leonardia earlier said the project will develop the “sleeping southern part” of Bacolod City.

The Bacolod MassKara Coliseum is also one of the priority projects of the city government funded by the P1.7 billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines.

In fact, Zubiri has tapped architect Leonilo Ramon Lichauco of the Manila-based LG+V Architect/Planners to design what he considered as a “legacy project.”

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