P237-M skate park to rise in Bacolod City

BACOLOD CITY—This city will soon have a new attraction for thrill-seeking sports enthusiasts. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently announced that the P237.8 million skate park now being built on a 6,842.20-square-meter lot in Barangay Vista Alegre was underway.

Loben Rafael Ceballos, officer-in-charge of the City Engineer’s Office, said the construction funded by the national government was already 20 percent done.

The project involves the construction of a 2-storey sports building and a skate park with a floor area of 1,355 square meters, the DPWH said during the ground breaking of the project in August.

While the undertaking is called a skate park, the project is set to become a hub of athletic and social activities, featuring a basketball court, a multipurpose function hall with a seating capacity of 950, rental spaces, an administrative ticketing office, as well as storage rooms, kitchen/food preparation facilities, showers and laundry areas.

New level thrill

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez expressed his excitement for the project.

“We are bringing the thrill to a new level. Construction for our Vista Alegre Skate Park has already started and is targeted to open May 2024,” he said.

“After some finalization of other important details, I’m excited to reveal this new attraction for our thrill-seeking millennials will open very soon,” he added. INQBacolod City will join the ranks of only four existing skate parks in the entire country, solidifying its reputation as a hotbed for the skateboarding community, officials said.

The DPWH, in a statement, said the skate park will provide a space for the youth to showcase their talent, foster camaraderie, and promote a healthy lifestyle.

“The skate park in Bacolod City is a significant milestone for the community as it will foster a culture of physical fitness and well-being and create opportunities for social interaction and community engagement,” it said.

The skate and longboard community has been longing for a skate park to give them a safer space to harness their craft and push for an ordinance supporting their group. INQ