By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – Police Station 3 will soon have a permanent home with the groundbreaking of a PHP20-million, three-story building along Buri Road in Barangay Mandalagan on Monday.
The station, currently located beside the barangay hall, will move to a new 2,130-square-meter lot donated by Rockwell Land Corp.
City officials led by Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez and Bacolod lone district Rep. Greg Gasataya, along with Rockwell chairman and CEO Nestor Padilla and Bacolod City Police Office director Col. Joeresty Coronica, attended the groundbreaking and deed of donation signing.
The site will house a fire substation, a police station, and a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) command center.
“Putting them together is our goal for more efficient government transactions,” Benitez said.
Benitez told reporters that Rockwell pledged an additional PHP10 million for the police station on top of the initial PHP10 million committed last year by Sen. Francis Tolentino.
“I was surprised with the additional funding, and we are thankful to Rockwell,” Benitez said.
He added that the developer even donated a bigger lot than the originally planned 1,986 square meters.
Benitez said the site is accessible to the public, especially during emergencies.
He noted it will be the city’s first clustered facility, integrating key emergency services in one location.
The police station is expected to be completed in eight months and will feature a common architectural design used in other city government buildings, aligned with Rockwell’s development.
The Department of Public Works and Highways will lead the construction, beginning with the police station.
Benitez said he will seek additional funding for the fire substation and DRRMO when he returns to Congress.
He estimated the total cost for all three facilities at around PHP60 million, pending DPWH assessment.
Col. Coronica thanked Rockwell and the city for their generosity and support.
He described the site as prime, vibrant, and strategically located, enhancing station efficiency.
The new facility will serve Barangays Mandalagan and Bata.
Coronica added that Barangay Banago, previously under Station 3, will soon have a separate station through Gasataya’s efforts.
“After eight months, we are expecting to see the most beautiful and modern police station in the entire city,” he said.
Gasataya, who is set to succeed Benitez as mayor, said they plan to establish more police stations in Barangays Estefania, Banago, and Sum-ag.
He noted that national government land in Banago could be used, while private donations are being considered for the other sites.
Gasataya stressed the importance of securing land first before seeking funds through the Philippine National Police or General Appropriations Act.
In his message, Benitez thanked Rockwell for being instrumental in making the city’s first clustered emergency facility possible.
“Now, we have a beautiful donation,” he said.
“It has been growing and we will continue.”
“We now have enough—a good size, where we can position our goal of clustering.”
Benitez explained that the one-stop-shop setup will improve coordination and response between fire, police, and disaster teams.
“This is what we really intend to do, that’s why we envisioned this leading to our goal of becoming a super city,” he said.
“I am very sure that Bacolod will be a remarkable city,” he added.
“We are blessed to have generous, productive, and efficient partners that will move the city toward our goal of becoming a super city.”
Padilla, for his part, recalled the early stages of bringing the project to Bacolod.
“We truly feel this is such a beautiful place and Bacolod deserves better,” he said.
“What we are doing here will not only make us proud, but all of us,” added Padilla, who grew up in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
