Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) announced that a P1 billion Negros Occidental Convention Center in Silay City is targeted for completion by late 2027 or early 2028, and that funds have been committed for the improvement of the Bacolod-Silay International Airport.
Benitez made the announcement at the mass graduation of 2,065 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) scholars at the Victorias City Coliseum on Thursday, May 7, which he called a historic first for the Third District of Negros Occidental.
“For the first time ever, we held a district-wide TESDA mass graduation ceremony, bringing together 2,065 graduates in one celebration of skills, hard work, and new beginnings,” he said.
The mass graduation stands as a defining milestone for the Third District and reflects a collective goal in making skills training more accessible, more aligned with local needs, and closer to the communities it serves, Benitez added.
He told the graduates that the convention center and the improved airport will bring in more tourists and investments to the Third District, opening up more job opportunities for them.
Benitez said that the Negros Occidental Convention Center will have a capacity for 6,200 people.
House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy has verbally committed to support the project, while the Secretary of the Department of Transportation has already committed a budget for airport improvements next year, he said.
The upgrades will include extending the runway by an additional 500 meters, increasing terminal capacity to 1,500, and establishing offices and personnel for the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Immigration at the airport.
The improved airport will allow more planes to land, which could also include international flights, he said.*
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