Press Release
January 31, 2022

Bill renaming CDO International Convention Center after Aquilino Pimentel Jr. approved

The bill renaming Cagayan de Oro (CDO) International Convention Center as Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., breezed through the Senate with the passage on third and final reading of House Bill No. (HBN) 8842, Monday, January 31, 2022.

The P1.3 billion-facility, which would be renamed after the former Senate President and former Minority Leader, is located at Bgy. Indahag, CDO City, about 4 km from the city center. It is designed to accommodate more than 7000 people.

Sen. Francis "Tol" Tolentino, chairperson of the Committee on Local Government and sponsor of the bill, said the public structure will help "spur the tourism industry as it would attract conventions, conferences of big magnitude."

Tolentino said he was very close to Pimentel, who was his lawyer in his early political years. In his sponsorship speech, Tolentino paid tribute to Pimentel as a great statesman of the country, a true Mindanaoan, and a native son of CDO.

"Elected in 2000 as first Senate President to have hailed from Mindanao, Senator Nene Pimentel is considered as one of the pillars of democracy in the Philippines and as the father of the Local Government Code," Tolentino said.

Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri, who hails from Northern Mindanao, said it is very apt and timely that the convention center started by Pimentel be named after him.

"It's a beautiful project. I see it everyday from the other side of the mountain and I am so happy that it is finally completed and named after him. He deserves to be honored by the city of Cagayan de Oro for all the achievements that he has done," Zubiri said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Sens. Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, and Win Gatchalian were made co-sponsors of the bill.

HBN 8842 was passed on third reading by the House of Representatives on March 22, 2021.

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