Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo recently shared photos like this of the dilapidated condition of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum, the 12,000-seat coliseum increasingly used as an evacuation center during typhoons and flooding. (Courtesy: Leni Robredo on FB)
Malacañang on Tuesday said the P500 million in national government funding granted to Naga City for the rehabilitation of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum was approved based on project requirements and supporting documents.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said local government units seeking assistance through the Local Government Support Fund must submit their requests directly to the Department of Budget and Management, which evaluates proposed projects before funds are released.
“Local government units seeking LGSF assistance submit their requests directly to the DBM,” Castro said.
She said applicants must establish the need for funding and submit supporting documents, including feasibility studies, for the DBM to determine whether a proposed project qualifies for assistance.
“It is not the case that once an LGU requests funding, it is immediately granted. The President, the DBM and the government safeguard public funds,” Castro said.
Funding may be released once a project is found appropriate for the locality and the LGU has demonstrated that the proposal meets government requirements, she said.
“Once it is found to be qualified, the funds will be released regardless of your political affiliation,” Castro said.
Her remarks came after questions were raised over the P500 million allocation for Naga, where former Vice President Leni Robredo is now mayor.
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice had questioned the distribution of LGSF allocations and raised the possibility that political considerations influenced the release of funds to Naga.
Castro rejected the interpretation, noting that the Marcos administration approved funding for Naga despite Robredo and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. having been political rivals.
“If this is being called political, then why was Vice President Leni or Mayor Leni given the funding when they are not allies? Why was Naga City, despite not being of the same political color or an ally, given the funds it requested?” Castro said.
Robredo, meanwhile, said the funding was sought to address long-standing safety and disaster-response deficiencies at the 12,000-seat coliseum, which has increasingly been used as an evacuation center during typhoons and flooding.
According to Naga City records, Robredo requested national government assistance in November 2025 for the coliseum’s rehabilitation.
The City Council endorsed the request, citing the need for structural strengthening, upgraded sanitation and drainage, community kitchens and other facilities for displaced residents. The proposed improvements were estimated at P500 million.
Robredo said the national government approved the request in principle in early February 2026, with President Marcos turning over a Special Allotment Release Order covering P450 million for the coliseum rehabilitation and P50 million for heavy equipment during his visit to Naga later that month.
The mayor said the project is currently in the post-qualification stage of procurement, with construction expected to begin in October after offices currently occupying the coliseum are relocated.