GOVERNOR Aris Aumentado of Bohol has announced that an initial funding of P50 million provided by Senator Imee Marcos for the planned construction of Bohol Convention Center that would hopefully cater various activities, particularly the Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions (MICE).
The said fund is sourced out of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) approved by Congress. And the estimated total cost is Php200 million.
The site eyed for the convention center would be the old city airport, or a private sector thru donation for a space for it to be in Panglao is welcome, the governor said.
The governor said in media interview yesterday that the convention center may not totally be for cultural or sports use purposes.
He is considering to make it a multi-purpose edifice convertible to food storage and evacuation or headquarters for disaster readiness.
The governor thanked Senator Imee Marcos for the fund.
The plan for a reliable convention center was pursued since Bohol lack this type of facility in accommodating big gatherings.
Gov. Aris Aumentado and Secretary Jaime Bautista of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) thru Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) discussed this, particularly the site at the old city airport.
In the said talks, Bautista requested Aumentado to submit a proposal for the city airport site use of the building so the former could present it to CAAP executive board.
It used to be Calape town having a bigger, if not the biggest, gym hosted Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games years back. This was halted after Odette destroyed it.
After its repair, national basketball games will be back, in fact, on December 27, ex-PBA legends will play here, Mayor Atty. Julius Caesar F. Herrera said in separate interview. (rvo)
