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ILOILO City – The new Freedom Grandstand that the city government envisions will be facing the Iloilo River.
The target year of completion was moved to 2019. The city government initially wanted to complete it on or before January 2018 in time for the 50th edition of the Dinagyang Festival.
The current Freedom Grandstand is the traditional first judging area of participating Dinagyang tribes. It will be demolished but not until the new one has been completed.
The new Freedom Grandstand will rise on corner Aduana-Muelle Loney streets, City Proper on a 2,600 square-meter property the city government bought from Panay Railways, Inc.
After the current Freedom Grandstand located in front of the Bureau of Customs is demolished, the area would be redeveloped into what it once was – Sunburst Park, an open space for recreation and leisure.
The revival of Sunburst Park will include, among others, a public park with amenities for food, service, outdoor recreation spaces, and an assembly area for interaction and socialization.
By 2019 or 2020 Dinagyang tribes would be performing at the new Freedom Grandstand.
According to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, the new grandstand will accommodate at least 4,000 people while its accompanying multi-purpose building will house some city government offices like the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (ICUPAO) and Transportation Management and Traffic Regulation Office, among others.
Mabilog said bidding will start soon. The grandstand has a budget of P100 million while its multipurpose building at the back, P50 million.
The construction will entail the removal of 38 illegal settlers. ICUPAO and the Task Force Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures recently discussed with them their relocation.
The city gave the illegal settlers 60 days or until the second week of September to voluntarily vacate the area. (PNA)
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