Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo has explained the circumstances behind the P500-million national government allocation for the rehabilitation and retrofitting of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum, saying the project was pursued because the facility has increasingly been used as an evacuation center despite not being designed for that purpose.
The 12,000-seat coliseum was originally built as a venue for sporting events, concerts, conventions and other large gatherings. Over the years, however, its location and size have made it an important shelter for residents during typhoons and flooding, exposing limitations such as inadequate sleeping areas, limited space for tents, the lack of communal kitchens, and facilities that are difficult to use during floods.
Robredo said the need for improvements became more urgent after Typhoon Kristine caused severe flooding in Naga.
“After Typhoon Kristine, which brought us the worst floods, the need to repair and retrofit the Coliseum became even more stark,” part of the statement said.
According to Robredo, she began seeking funding for the rehabilitation after assuming office in 2025. Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan advised the city to pursue assistance through the Local Government Support Fund, with the city subsequently working through the required process for the project.
The request was reportedly approved in principle in early February 2026. Robredo said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later turned over the Special Allotment Release Order covering the P500-million allocation during his visit to Naga.
“Sometime early February 2026, we were advised that the request was already approved in principle. On February 23, 2026, President BBM visited Naga and handed already to us the SARO – P450M for the repair and rehabilitation of the Coliseum and P50M for heavy equipment that we would need to strengthen our resilience against disasters,” it added.
The funding consists of P450 million for the coliseum’s rehabilitation and P50 million for heavy equipment intended to improve the city’s disaster-response capacity.
Actual rehabilitation work has yet to begin because several government and nongovernment offices currently occupying the coliseum still need to be transferred elsewhere. Robredo said the Balatas Building will serve as their temporary location once it is ready.
The facility was originally known as the Naga City Coliseum. It was renamed the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum through a Sangguniang Panglungsod ordinance in 2012, following the death of Jesse Robredo in August that year.
