Metro Manila, Philippines — Naga City Mayor and former Vice President Leni Robredo said most of the ₱500-million national government grant to the city will fund the rehabilitation of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum.
The remaining amount will be used to purchase heavy equipment for disaster response, she said on Monday, Sept. 21.
Robredo said in a Facebook post that ₱450 million of the total grant will go toward the rehabilitation of the coliseum.
The remaining ₱50 million will fund the acquisition of equipment needed during disasters and emergencies.
Robredo said the city’s funding request was approved in principle in early February.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally handed Naga City the Special Allotment Release Order, or SARO, during his visit on Feb. 23.
The SARO authorizes the release of funds for approved projects.
Construction work on the coliseum is targeted to begin in October.
Robredo did not name Erice in her statement.
Erice earlier questioned national government allocations to local governments and cited Naga’s ₱500-million grant as an example.
