51st IEC Pavilion Set for Turnover to Cebu Archdiocese on Saturday

The International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Pavilion, venue for most of the 51st IEC events in January 2016, is set to be turned over to the Archdiocese of Cebu on Saturday.

Rizal Camangyan Jr., the Pavilion’s construction manager, said the structural and architectural aspects are all complete, except for the finishing works to be done at the Pavilion.

Camangyan said all the works will be completed by this month.

He said the testing and commissioning of equipment, like the generator and airconditioning system, is still to be done to make sure that they are running.

The 26,000-square meter facility at the San Carlos Seminary in Mabolo, Cebu City, constructed by Duros Development Corporation, can accommodate around 12,000 to 15,000 foreign and local delegates for the international gathering of Catholic leaders on Jan. 24-31, 2016.

The Pavilion’s plenary hall has a seating capacity of around 7,000 to 9,000 people, while its gallery can accommodate around 3,000 to 5,000 people.

It also has an adoration chapel, which is almost complete, except for finishing touches.

Architect Carlos Pio Zafra said the Pavilion is originally designed to have a seating capacity of 15,000, but this was decreased to give way to a media center that can accommodate around 400 people because the church gave much importance to the media people who will cover the IEC.

Zafra said the media center, which will be equipped with all the necessary requirements for the coverage in January, is the same size as the chapel.

The IEC Pavilion, which is built on the Cebu Archdiocese grounds, is worth PhP500 million.

It will be equipped with 27 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, 200-slot parking area, 1,000 sprinklers heads, and more than 1,700 lighting fixtures. (PNA) SCS/EB/RSM