- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Department of Public Works and Highways said it is fast-tracking the construction of the multi-purpose building, worth P213 million, that will serve as the Bacolod City Museum/Auditorium.
DPWH Region 6 director, Engr. Nerie Bueno, said the project, funded under the General Appropriations Act of 2020 and 2021, involves the construction of a two-storey museum/auditorium, with a floor area of approximately 4,800 square meters.
“Soon to become a major tourist attraction in Western Visayas, the museum is expected to usher in a brand-new era of cultural preservation in Bacolod as it contributes to the education, cultural, and tourism goals of the city, which will also help revitalize the province’s economy,” Bueno said in a statement Sept. 10.
Phase 1 of the project, with initial funding of P163 million released in 2020, is partly completed and includes the design and building of the main structure. Phase 2, with a P50 million allocation, will be for the provision of architectural features.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also asked Bueno for a report on needed budget to complete the project, which is his initiative in the 18th Congress.
Zubiri and Bueno attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the P200 million Bacolod City General Hospital Multipurpose Building in Brgy. Vista Alegre Sept. 9.
The senator, who traces his roots to Bacolod and Negros Occidental, recalled that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction of the Bacolod City Museum/Auditorium was even made an issue, with some sectors claiming that what is needed is a hospital, not a museum.
Bueno, meanwhile, said that as a green building certified project, the Bacolod Museum will be sustainable, and will use environment-friendly and energy-efficient materials and facilities.
The building project in Barangay Alijis will serve as a memorial of historic events, culture, artistry, and the resourcefulness of Bacolodnons and Negrenses in the early days, the DPWH said./CGC
