Incoming Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez is scrapping the P800 million Bacolod Coliseum in favor of a trade center and the upgrade of 3 major markets of the city.
On May 25, Benitez along with Cong. Greg Gasataya met with officials of the Development Bank of the Philippins (DBP) and the City Engineer’s Office where the mayor-elect pitched the idea for a simpler convention or trade center to allow the local government to realign the rest of the funds for improvement of 3 markets in the city.
Of the P800 million approved loan from DBP, at least P250 million was already released for the construction of the coliseum at the 8.8 hectares land donated by the Yanson family.
His team is also asking the legality if the funds can be repurposed since the initial allocation of P50 million by the outgoing administration is just for a facelift. For Benitez, the markets should have more priority than the coliseum.
Benitez added that he will also meet with the Yanson family who donated the land for the coliseum and the contractor.
The construction of the coliseum was part of the four big-ticket projects that Leonardia highlighted when he sought for re-election.
