Following an interview with local media last month, urban planner, Arch. Felino Palafox, Jr., has been tapped by Bacolod City Evelio Leonardia to prepare a master plan for the city. The two are set to meet within the month for exploratory talks.

Palafox said he sees “very high development potential” and believes Bacolod City could experience an “urban renaissance.”

The architect drew an analogy to Dubai, which Leonardia cited Palafox as one of the creators of the Middle Eastern city’s master plan, saying, “After 15 years, it had developed from a desert to [the] first-world.”

The mayor added, “Can you imagine if we can use his brains for Bacolod?”/WDJ