Naga City is set to undertake a major infrastructure overhaul after securing P500 million from the national government for the rehabilitation of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum.
Mayor Leni Robredo confirmed the release of a special allotment release order (SARO) from the Department of Budget and Management and publicly acknowledged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for extending support to the city government. The turnover followed what both officials described as a meeting unrelated to partisan matters.
In a post on her personal Facebook account, Robredo said the funding would allow the city to restore and improve key public facilities that have not undergone significant repairs in years.
“With the funding for the coliseum, we will now be able, within this year, to rehabilitate important facilities in our city that have been neglected for several years. These include the Metro Naga Sports Complex and the Naga City Civic Center, which have long lacked the necessary funds for rehabilitation,” she added.
She also credited Senator Kiko Pangilinan, a fellow Liberal Party member, describing him as “instrumental in securing the assistance that made it possible to bring this to Malacañang.” Robredo further expressed appreciation to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto for helping move the request forward.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, the allocation will finance structural retrofitting and modernization of the 12,000-seat venue. Planned improvements include a reinforced roofing system, upgraded sanitation facilities, expanded drainage infrastructure to reduce flood risk, and the creation of designated medical response areas. A large-scale community kitchen capable of serving thousands during emergencies will also be installed.
Constructed in 2010 and later renamed in honor of the late Jesse Robredo, the former mayor and interior secretary, the coliseum has long functioned as both an events venue and an emergency shelter. It has remained operational during major calamities, including Super Typhoon Rolly in 2020 and Typhoon Kristine in 2024.
Marcos, who was in Naga to inspect the administration’s “Oplan Kontra Baha” flood mitigation efforts, said his government still has “many things to do” in the two remaining years of his term.
