“After the 2022 elections, we envisioned to put up a new legislative building. So after a year and six months of our administration, we are finally groundbreaking our legislative building to be able to serve the city better…the councilors, they will have a very good office.”
This was stressed by Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez during the groundbreaking ceremony of the P515-million legislative building behind the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) on Monday, December 4, along with the officials of the Legacy Construction Construction/MKU and the members of the City Council.
Benitez also asked the contractor of the project to finish first the building of the city councilors so they can occupy their new offices before the 2025 elections.
Its fund is part of the P4.4 billion approved loan for the city government from the Development Bank of the Philippines.
Benitez said the bank will release the mobilization funds to the contractor, and then they will submit a progress billing for the project.
He said the contractor was given 18 months to finish the construction of the four-storey building.
The contractor will start the construction of the building after the groundbreaking ceremony.
Benitez said the football field will be converted into a parking area and they are also in discussion with the owner of the lot near the area if they can allocate more space for the city’s park, football field, among others.
The mayor noted that the legislative building was designed for two districts since they are only waiting for the approval of Congress for the redistricting of Bacolod.
Once it is approved, Bacolod City will have a total of eight city councilors who will be elected for each district, from the current 12 elected councilors.
In July 2019, Congressman Greg Gasataya filed House Bill 566 in the 18th Congress, which aims to reapportion the lone legislative district of Bacolod. The proposed measure is still pending in Congress.
Engineer Loben Ceballos, officer-in-charge of the City Engineer’s Office, said the legislative building was designed with sustainability and provision for solar panels including the rainwater collection system and earthquake resistance.
He said the vacated offices of the city councilors will be occupied by the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), Office of the Building Official (OBO), City Engineer’s Office, and Bacolod Housing Authority, among others.
Moreover, Benitez said they incorporated the standard design of all the government infrastructures, meaning that the branding or design of the city’s buildings will have the legislative building’s design.*