• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) fountain will not be operational during the three-day highlights of the MassKara Festival, from Oct. 17 to 19, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) said.
Engr. Gregory Oller, assistant chief operating officer of TIEZA’s Architectural and Engineering Services Sector, in his letter to City Engr. Loben Rafael Ceballos Oct. 12, noted “severe safety and technical constraints that make operations unfeasible”, per results of a joint inspection.
“In paramount consideration on public safety, as well as critical infrastructure limitations, we regret to inform…that the fountain will not be operational during the upcoming festival highlights,” Oller added.
He said that operating high-voltage equipment and leaving work zones exposed amidst dense festival crowds pose unacceptable risks to public safety, while heavy foot traffic severely restricts technical crews from securing the site.
There was also the lack of a permanent power supply, preventing technical teams from executing a mandatory 10-day system configuration and a five-day programming phase required before safely going live.
“Forcing an operational launch during peak festival hours introduces liabilities that directly compromise public welfare,” Oller said.
TIEZA said an updated implementation timeline will be provided after the festival, and the power infrastructure upgrade is finalized.
A total of P220 million was initially allocated for the project, and P16.3 million added following a variation order. | TMD
