The construction of the first phase of the PHP213-million Bacolod City Museum-Auditorium is more than halfway done, the Department of Public Works and Highway-Western Visayas (DPWH-6) said in a report released Tuesday night.
The two-structure edifice, funded through the initiative of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, sits on a portion of the 8.8-hectare land donated by the Yanson family in Barangay Alijis.
In a statement, DPWH-6 Regional Director Nerie Bueno said during her recent visit to the site, she directed the contractor to expedite the construction and also instructed the project engineer to closely monitor.
Still, Bueno acknowledged that unfavorable weather conditions and Covid-19 restrictions could hinder the work schedule of the project.
It was originally set to start in the first quarter of 2021 but got delayed due to the pandemic.
The project, with funding under the DPWH-6’s fiscal years 2020 and 2021 General Appropriations Act, is divided into two phases.
In 2020, the amount of PHP163 million was released for the construction of Phase 1, which includes the design and building of the main structure, which is more than 50 percent completed.
Phase 2, with funding of PHP50 million, comprises the provision of the architectural features.
“As a green building certified project, this museum will be sustainable, using environment-friendly responsible and energy-efficient materials and facilities,” Bueno said.
Zubiri, whose father’s side of family has roots in Negros Occidental, had earlier said he considers the museum-auditorium as his “legacy project for Bacolod”.
Designed by architect Leonilo Ramon Lichauco of the Manila-based LG+V Architect/Planners, the building is “inspired by nature”, with the top view showing the connected leaf-shaped buildings.
“The beauty of the design is, it’s not a common museum. To get to the other levels, we used a wide ramp where you can display all the artworks of various artists here in Bacolod. It’s person with disability-friendly all the way up to the different levels and all the way down to the sub-level,” Lichauco had earlier said. (PNA)
