• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City government is studying the best course of action for the Halandumon Tower located at Gatuslao-Gonsaga Streets, near the city public plaza.
Mayor Greg Gasataya stated that they need to conduct a thorough assessment before taking any actions on the P4.8 million tower.
Since its completion, the tower has been a controversial topic of criticism because of its million-peso price tag.
“About that, maybe the clear [thing] is creating a team that will help study about the property that the city constructed,” the mayor said.
Gasataya said that there are suggestions that Halandumon Tower should just be demolished as it caused traffic congestion, but the mayor expressed regrets over the money that the city spent to build the structure.
According to the mayor, some also suggested bringing back the clock that was placed in the former rotunda.
Constructed in 2018, during the administration of former Mayor Evelio Leonardia, to commemorate Bacolod City’s 80th anniversary, the Halandumon Tower stands at 14.9 meters tall, and was designed by the United Architects of the Philippines.
The outer tower represents sugarcane, a key crop in the region, the inner tower represents rice or palay, another vital agricultural product, while the eight progressively rising columns symbolize the eight decades of continuous progress experienced by Bacolod City.
Gasataya also mentioned that the city has a separate plan for the public plaza, which will be implemented after the ongoing drainage projects and development works by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority are completed.
It includes the rehabilitation of the public rest room and building at the heart of the plaza.*
