TACLOBAN CITY – A P750-million international convention center will soon rise here in the city with House Speaker Martin Romualdez leading its groundbreaking ceremony on February 7.
The Benjamin Romualdez International Convention Center (BRICC) will be constructed on a two-hectare site at the former Leyte Park Hotel grounds along Magsaysay Boulevard.
The facility is named after Benjamin Romualdez, the late father of Speaker Romualdez, who served as Leyte governor from 1967 to 1986.
Speaker Romualdez emphasized that the project not only highlights Tacloban and Leyte’s rich culture but also stands as a symbol of resilience following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
“More than a decade after Yolanda, who would have thought that we would have such a beautiful, world-class convention center?” Romualdez, who represents Leyte’s 1st Congressional District, remarked.
The Leyte Park Hotel, which once occupied the site, was severely damaged when Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ struck Tacloban on November 8, 2013.
Romualdez assured that construction will begin immediately and is expected to be completed within two to three years, as funding for the project has already been secured.
Originally, BRICC was designed as a three-story, modern facility with a seating capacity of 2,200 people.
However, Romualdez has requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to revise the design and increase capacity to 5,000 to accommodate larger events and gatherings.
Among those present were ABC president Raymund Romualdez, representing his father, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, DPWH Regional Director Engr. Edgar Tabacon, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, son of the House Speaker, City Councilor Aimee Grafil and husband, Dandee Grafil, and village officials of the city.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
