Victorias eyes major infrastructure projects

BACOLOD CITY: The process of putting up a new government center, city hospital and housing projects for Victorias City will kick off next year, Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said on Friday, November 18.

“We have a bill in Congress filed by Rep. Francisco Benitez (third district) proposing to put up the Victorias City Hospital,” he said, adding that he has reached out to key leaders in the House to ensure that it gets heard at the committee level.

The proposed location for the hospital is in Barangay 12, Benitez said.

“It will also be in phases as it will depend on the available budget,” he said.

According to Benitez, the city government has allocated P17 million for the improvement of its Ikaayong Lawas Foundation health facility.

The mayor added that he will carry out the original plan by the previous administration for a new government center (NGC).

“We see the NGC as an economic driver, a new economic hub. That is what we need at this time,” he said.

Benitez added that they are now focusing on having the proper design and a master plan.

“There is no take two for this. We are trying to do as much as possible, to go as fast as we can. But the plan should be good,” he said. “We have to invest in planning our cities better.”

The city government is also putting up housing projects in its coastal and upland areas of Victorias City in cooperation with the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development for its informal settlers.

Benitez said they are targeting 6,000 housing units.

He added that they are prioritizing the informal settlers residing in danger zones like in Barangay 6A.

They are also putting up a housing project in Barangay Gawahon to solve the problem of informal settlers inside the protected area of the Northern Negros Natural Park.

“The housing projects will not be free, but we will try to bring the rates down and have longer terms of payment,” the mayor said.