ILOILO City Engineer’s Office assured that the new Freedom Grandstand is set to be finished for Dinagyang Festival 2019.
City engineer Bobby Divinagracia said that the demolition of the grandstand will be fully accomplished in three months, according to its contractor, the Micro Asia Builders Corporation.
It will give way to the restoration of Sunburst Park, a Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority’s project.
Divinagracia expressed that the construction will be finished on November and will be situated facing the Muelle Loney area.
Previously, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) interposed no objection with regards to the demolition since the grandstand is not a heritage site due to several renovations.
NHCP had responded to Marigold Ganzon Lapascua’s request to stop the demolition on the ground that the structure is an “important cultural property.” Lapascua is the sister of Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.
Previously, Ganzon sought delay of the demolition since the structure commemorates his father.
The city engineer stressed that the construction of the new grandstand will continue even without the demolition of the old one.
“The construction is dangerous if there will be typhoons, however, the Guerrea construction company) committed that it will be finished by November,” Divinagracia said.
Mayor Jose Espinosa III also wanted to ensure if it will be finished on the promised date.
He also said that the city engineer has already provided the demolition order but it still dependent on the contractor. (Carolyn Jane Abello)