P750-M INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER TO RISE IN TACLOBAN

A 5,000-SEATER international convention center that will provide a world-class venue for events will soon rise in Tacloban City, Leyte.

House Speaker and Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez on Friday led the groundbreaking of the three-storey building within the 20,620-square-meter lot at the old Leyte Park Hotel complex along Magsaysay Boulevard in Tacloban.

The project, officially named the Benjamin Romualdez International Convention Center (BRICC), will initially cost P750 million based on a partially completed feasibility study, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Benjamin Romualdez is the father of the House Speaker who served as governor of Leyte from 1967 to 1986, and Philippine Ambassador to the US from 1982 to 1986.

According to the House leader, a five-star hotel will operate next to the convention center to accommodate the needs of visitors.

“Who would have thought that we would have a beautiful structure like this after Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan)? We will work harder to make our dreams come true,” Romualdez said during the event.

Romualdez said the project is up for completion within three years.

DPWH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Edgar Tabacon said the first phase of the project has an initial allocation of P500 million while the second phase has P250 million in funding.

“This project highlights our aspiration to prosper further by hosting national and international events,” Tabacon said.

Among the amenities include retail concourse, food and beverage services areas, lounges, large parking space, and other utilities.

The second and third floors are designed to be used as a multi-purpose venue that can accommodate large number of seating capacities, with the provision of mezzanine, plenary areas, rooms, lounges, retail, and other utilities.

“The BRICC is also designed to be community-centered, safe, sustainable, and resilient, representing the culture and people of Tacloban. This project is a testament to the government’s commitment to bring forth development not just to Tacloban City but also to the entire Eastern Visayas,” Tabacon added.

The convention center will rise within the 6.1-hectare complex of the abandoned Leyte Park Resort Hotel, which was built 45 years ago by then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

The hotel was taken over by the government in 1986 after the Edsa People Power Revolution. Its ownership was transferred to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, the Privatization Management Office, and the provincial government of Leyte.