21/09/2026
The truth about the rehabilitation of the Jesse Robredo Coliseum grant from the National Government. (Hinintay ko lang matapos ang Peñafrancia Fiesta bago mag post)
🏳️The Coliseum was constructed in 2009 and opened in 2010 and was known as the Naga City Coliseum. After my husband died in August 2012, the Sangguniang Panglungsod passed Ordinance 2012-043 renaming it to Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum.
🏳️It has a seating capacity of 12,000, making it the largest in Southern Luzon and was originally intended as venue for big events, conventions, sports competitions, concerts. But because of the frequent typhoons that besiege Naga, it has, over the years, become the largest evacuation center, housing thousands of families during calamities. It has also weathered countless typhoons and several earthquakes during its 16 years of existence;
🏳️But because it was not originally built as an evacuation center, it does not provide the basic amenities that an evacuation center should have. There is very limited space for tents, bleachers that cannot be used as beds, comfort rooms that cannot be used during floods because they are located on the ground floor, no communal kitchens, no areas to house relief goods, etc.
🏳️After Typhoon Kristine, which brought us the worst floods, the need to repair and retrofit the Coliseum became even more stark.
🏳️As soon as I assumed office in 2025, I tried to look for funding already for its rehabilitation. It was difficult because of the big amount that is required. Senator Kiko Pangilinan advised me that we could apply for LGSF Funding because of the nature of the project, which we did.
🏳️Sometime early February 2026, we were advised that the request was already approved in principle. On February 23, 2026, President BBM visited Naga and handed already to us the SARO - P450M for the repair and rehabilitation of the Coliseum and P50M for heavy equipment that we would need to strengthen our resilience against disasters.
🏳️Even if we have the SARO already, we cannot start with the construction yet because a number of government and non-government agencies/organizations hold office at the Coliseum and we needed a place where we could relocate them while construction is ongoing.
🏳️The Balatas Building that will serve as their temporary offices will only be ready by October so we scheduled the bidding September. Right now, we are already in the post qualification stage and, hopefully, construction can start within the month of October.
📸 Mayor Leni Robredo
