By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Councilor Ricardo Tan, who was on vacation leave when the Sangguniang Panlungsod voted to approve the three requirements regarding the P1.7 billion loan the city government plans to borrow from the Development Bank of the Philippines, said he supports the move but does not agree on how the city government plans to utilize the funding.

In a radio interview yesterday, he said city residents would benefit from the funding but said it should be spent on projects like a hospital.

The city official was particularly skeptical of the proposed Bacolod MassKara Coliseum, which is earmarked at P800 million.

He said most coliseum projects across the province turn out to be a “white elephant,” a reference to something that is expensive and useless; adding, the city cannot even maintain the BAYS Center.

Eleven city councilors voted in the affirmative, giving Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia the authority to sign the hold deposit agreement and loan term agreement, along approving the borrowing ordinance prescribed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Meanwhile, City Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr. voted against the measure, saying the loan requirement approval was “railroaded.”/DGB, WDJ