Three consecutive afternoons of public consultation await Dumaguete City residents this May, as the Sangguniang Panlungsod prepares to open the floor on what could be one of the largest borrowing proposals the city government has ever formally considered — a ₱2.185-billion loan package tied to two long-discussed infrastructure priorities: a replacement public market and an expanded City Hall complex.
What the Proposed Loan Is For
According to the proposal currently under review by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the ₱2.185-billion borrowing package is intended to fund two flagship infrastructure undertakings: the construction of a brand-new Dumaguete Public Market and a significant physical expansion of the existing City Hall building.
Proponents of both projects have described them as critically overdue improvements to city facilities that have been stretched beyond their original design capacity by decades of population growth, rising commercial activity, and evolving public service demands. The full terms of the borrowing — including the name of the lending institution, the applicable interest rate, and the repayment schedule — are expected to be formally presented and examined during the public hearings themselves.
At ₱2.185 billion, the proposed obligation would be one of the most consequential financial commitments in Dumaguete City’s history, carrying debt-servicing requirements that will extend well beyond the term of the officials who would vote to approve it.
Hearing Schedule: Venues, Dates, and Times
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has confirmed the following schedule for the three public consultation sessions, all running from 2:00 in the afternoon to 5:00 in the evening:
- Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — Public Market Auditorium, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Wednesday, May 20, 2026 — Public Market Auditorium, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Thursday, May 21, 2026 — SP Session Hall, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
All three sessions will be chaired by the head of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Finance. Attendance is open to any member of the public, and participation is not limited to formally invited stakeholders or pre-registered organizations. Residents are advised to arrive before the 2:00 PM start time, as seating at both the Public Market Auditorium and the SP Session Hall is limited.
The Legal Basis: Local Government Code Consultation Requirements
Under the Local Government Code of the Philippines, any local government unit pursuing a major borrowing arrangement is legally required to conduct formal public consultation before the proposal can advance to final deliberation and a vote by the local legislative body. The Sangguniang Panlungsod’s three-day hearing schedule fulfills this statutory requirement.
These sessions give Dumaguete residents the formal, on-record opportunity to hear the full details of the loan proposal directly from its proponents, scrutinize the projected revenue streams earmarked for debt repayment, and raise questions, request changes, or register opposition — all of which become part of the official proceedings. The Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Finance is expected to consolidate all public inputs gathered across the three sessions before the loan proposal moves to the next stage of council deliberation.
Who Stands to Be Most Directly Affected
Civic observers and community groups have noted that public hearings of this scale often see low turnout unless the sectors most directly impacted make a coordinated effort to attend. Among those with the most immediate stake in the public market component are market vendors, operators of nearby sari-sari stores and commercial establishments, jeepney and tricycle drivers who regularly stage in the vicinity of the public market, and business owners along the surrounding commercial corridor.
For these groups, the construction of a replacement public market raises practical questions that go beyond finance — including where current vendors will operate during any transition or construction period, how long that displacement might last, and what the new facility’s layout and lease arrangements will look like once completed.
Property owners and residents near the existing City Hall complex hold a parallel interest in the proposed expansion, which would alter the physical footprint and day-to-day operations of one of the city’s primary government centers. Meanwhile, the debt-servicing dimension of the ₱2.185-billion borrowing touches every Dumagueteño as a city taxpayer, given that loan repayments will be drawn from the city’s annual budget across multiple administrations over the full repayment period.
A Multi-Administration Financial Commitment
The intergenerational scope of the proposed loan is among the most significant aspects of the proposal, according to civic groups expected to participate in the hearings. Repayments on a borrowing of this size will fall not only on the current city government but on the budgets of future administrations and future compositions of the Sangguniang Panlungsod — officials who will have had no role in approving the original obligation.
Questions about projected construction timelines, the economic returns both facilities are expected to generate once operational, and the risks the city assumes should revenue projections fall short of targets are all anticipated to figure prominently during the three consultation sessions.
The public market, in particular, has functioned as the commercial and social heart of Dumaguete City for generations. Any disruption to its day-to-day operations during a construction transition carries direct livelihood consequences for hundreds of vendors and affects the daily routines of thousands of residents who depend on it as a primary source of affordable goods.
Public Advisory: Residents Urged to Speak Up
Ahead of the hearings, a public advisory circulating among Dumaguete residents issued a call to participation in Bisaya: Ayaw pagpakahilom. Pagpakabana. Paminaw. Pangutana. Pakigbahin. — rendered in English as: Do not stay silent. Care. Listen. Ask. Take part.
The advisory closes with a direct appeal: Be informed. Be heard. Be present. The Sangguniang Panlungsod has reinforced this message, emphasizing that the hearings are designed to ensure that the voices of ordinary residents — not only organized groups or invited sector representatives — are placed on the official record before any final decision is made on the loan proposal.
The advisory’s framing reflects the weight attached to the public hearing process by those organizing the consultations, particularly given the financial scale of the proposal and its implications for city coffers across what could be a decade or more of repayment obligations.
How to Participate
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has confirmed that no prior registration is required to attend any of the three sessions. Residents planning to speak or submit questions are encouraged to bring valid identification. Given the projected interest from multiple affected sectors, early arrival before the 2:00 PM opening of each session is strongly recommended to secure a seat.
Following the conclusion of all three hearings on May 21, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Finance will review and consolidate the public inputs received before determining the loan proposal’s next steps in the council’s formal deliberative process.
Source: Breaking News Negros Oriental (breakingnewsnegrosoriental.com)
