Robredo Defends P500M Grant for Naga Coliseum Rehabilitation

NAGA CITY – Mayor and former Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo on Monday said the P500-million allocation from the National Government is meant to rehabilitate the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum, which doubles as an evacuation center. In a Facebook post, Ms. Robredo said the coliseum with a seating capacity of 12,000 is originally meant for conventions, sports competitions and concerts, but has been turned into an evacuation center due to frequent typhoons. “It has also weathered countless typhoons and several earthquakes during its 16 years of existence,” she said. “But because it was not originally built as an evacuation center, it does not provide the basic amenities that an evacuation center should have.” She noted the facility has limited space for tents and beds and lacks communal kitchens and areas for relief goods. Comfort rooms also cannot be used during floods because they are located on the ground floor. “After Typhoon Kristine, which brought us the worst floods, the need to repair and retrofit the coliseum became even more stark,” she said. This comes as Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice questioned over the funding granted to Naga City, which he described as one of the wealthier cities in Bicol, while poorer municipalities in the region were not. He also raised this may be an attempt of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to secure Ms. Robredo as an ally. Ms. Robredo, however, said she started seeking funds upon her assumption in 2025 and applied for the Local Government Support Fund as advised by Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan. She only received the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) worth P500 million in February, comprising P450 million for retrofitting and P50 million for disaster equipment. “Even if we have the SARO already, we cannot start with the construction yet because a number of government and nongovernment agencies/organizations hold office at the coliseum,” she said, adding the city only started bidding in September with plans to begin construction within October. Meanwhile, the Palace has rejected the lawmaker’s interpretation, saying assistance to local governments is based on their needs and the government’s capacity to respond. Ms. Robredo was the runner-up to Mr. Marcos in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, securing over 15 million votes behind his majority win. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking