• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday approved a resolution granting Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez authority to sign documents for the Development Bank of the Philippines loan term facility amounting to P4.4 billion.
The ceremonial signing of the P4,441,000,000 loan by the city with DBP will be held today at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center.
Councilor Al Victor Espino yesterday said that what they have approved are the conditions of the loan and what projects and programs are indicated which the mayor believes are needed by the city.
After the signing, they will start discussing the merits of each project, he said.
The projects listed by the DBP in its notice of approved facilities for financing are: Acquisition of lots to be utilized for various development project of the city (up to P1.5 billion); Construction of a legislative building (up to P515 million); Construction/improvement of mini hospitals for five barangays (up to P135 million); Rehabilitation/improvement of City Hall (up to P223 million); Improvement/rehabilitation of public markets (up to P525 million);
Construction/improvement of various roads (up to P270 million); Construction/improvement of various drainages (up to 300 million); Asphalt overlay of various roads (up to P50 million); Construction of Bacolod warehouse (up to P67.9 million); Construction of City Engineering Motorpool Area (up to P30.8 million); Improvement of Tree Park at Brgy. Alangilan (up to P47 million);
Construction of pedestrian mall (up to P50 million); Construction/improvement of City Health Complex (up to P220 million); Recovery and Recycling Complex and Eco Park (up to P103 million); Furniture and equipment (up to P279.300 million); Construction/installation of solar power generating system of various barangays and the BCGC (up to P100 million); and Construction of traffic signalization (up to P25 million).
Espino said the construction of the legislative building is one of their priority projects. He recalled that one of the campaign promises of Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya since his first year was the delineation of Bacolod into two legislative districts.
Meanwhile, Espino said he authored an ordinance creating mini hospitals in Bacolod to help decongest private and public hospitals, so outpatient cases can be outsourced to these mini hospitals that will be constructed in five barangays in the city.*
