By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod Yuhum Foundation (BYF) Inc. building in Barangay 8 requires an additional budget allocation of at least PHP10 million to complete construction.
This was revealed by Mae Cuaycong, special assistant to Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, during a media interview on Wednesday.
Cuaycong said Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. donated the project and initially allocated PHP10 million through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the building’s construction when he visited the city earlier this year.
However, Cuaycong explained that as construction began recently, the initial budget proved insufficient to complete the project, as it was intended only for the first phase.
“We were instructed to finalize the program of works with the DPWH so that another PHP10 million can be forwarded to the Office of Senator Revilla for additional funding,” Cuaycong said, adding that the project is being implemented by the DPWH.
Revilla visited the BYF building site last Wednesday when he arrived in Bacolod City to lead the distribution of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) to 2,500 beneficiaries at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) gymnasium.
The building stands on a two-hectare lot owned by the city government.
Currently, BYF, the organizer of the MassKara Festival, is renting a space along San Sebastian Street in Barangay 32, according to Cuaycong.
She added that the concept of the BYF building reflects the festive MassKara of the “City of Smiles.”
