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ILOILO City – In time for the golden anniversary of the Dinagyang Festival, the city government is eyeing the completion of a bigger and new Freedom Grandstand in 2018 on Muelle Loney Street facing the Iloilo River.
Construction is expected to start next year, said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
“We want to hold the 50th Dinagyang Festival in a bigger new venue fit for its golden year and to accommodate more guests and spectators,” he added.
The grandstand will have a capacity of 4,000 people, double the size of the existing structure on J.M. Basa Street, City Proper. It will also have office spaces. Vendors will be provided spaces.
The new grandstand will rise on a 2,600-square meter property of Panay Railways Inc. which the city government will purchase at P32 million. Occupants will be relocated to city-owned resettlement site.
The Bureau of Fire Protection regional and city offices will be allotted satellite parking area at current location as they will be transferred to Molo district.
The present grandstand will be demolished to pave the way for the restoration of Sunburst Park, which will also showcase the Customs House or Aduana building.
The city council already approved a resolution authorizing Mabilog to sign in behalf of the city a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) of Department of Tourism (DOT) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) for Sunburst Park revival project.
Under the MOU, the city government will “maintain, operate, manage and administer” the Sunburst Park once it is finished. BOC owns the park property.
Sunburst was named in honor of the American 40th Infantry Division of the same nickname that liberated Iloilo City from the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. (Iloilo City PIO/PN)
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