Gov’t to Spend P296.5M to Repair CICC

The National Government will spend some PHP296.5 million to repair the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City which was damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake on October 15, 2013.

The amount was based on the program of works and estimates (POWE) submitted by the Cebu provincial government and the Mandaue City government to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The DTI has offered to rehabilitate the CICC to set up a Center for Industry and Trade Expositions, and offer which the Cebu provincial government and the Mandaue City government considered.

The CICC was built in 2006 during the first term of former governor and now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district) for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in 2007 at a cost of some PHP800 million.

The Mandaue City government owns the land on which it was built.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said there is no more hindrance in the rehabilitation of the CICC after the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas approved it.

Last July 6, Governor Davide wrote the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas requesting for authority to repair the CICC, which is the subject of some criminal and administrative cases filed with the ombudsman.

“Happily, the deputy ombudsman for the Visayas, Deputy Ombudsman Paul Elmer Clemente, approved our request,” Davide said.

In his two-page answer to Davide, Clemente said “there exists no legal impediment for Cebu Province, Mandaue City and DTI to rehabilitate the CICC, a facility presently the subject of cases filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.”

Last July 31, 2012, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the filing of formal cases against Garcia and six other Cebu Capitol officials for allegedly violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in the construction of the CICC.

Clemente said the pending cases would not have any diminishing effect on the right of Cebu Province and Mandaue City to use CICC and the land on which the facility is built. (PNA) LAM/EB