The new freedom grandstand will be completed before the highlight of the Dinagyang Festival slated from January 25 to 27 this year.

This was the assurance made by Engineer Roberto Divinagracia yesterday, noting the P45-million structure is now 95 percent finished.

He said the façade will be completed by January 11 in time for the festival’s opening salvo. Currently, they are working on its finishing touches and variation orders.

The old freedom grandstand was once situated along J.M. Basa Street fronting Mapa Street in the City Proper district of Iloilo City. It was demolished to give way to the restoration of the Sunburst Park that was situated in between the old grandstand and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) building.

The new grandstand, a smaller version of Manila’s Quirino Grandstand, is now located at the Muelle Loney area fronting the Iloilo River.

The new structure, he said, is bigger than the old one. It can accommodate 1,960 seats from the previous 1,000. It also has a bigger lounge for guests and wider comfort rooms. (PNA)