Construction Of New PHP1.5B Cebu City Hospital Ahead Of Schedule – Exec

The construction of the new PHP1.5-billion, ten-story Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) on N. Bacalso Avenue and Panganiban Street is ahead of schedule, an official said.

Engr. Jose Marie Poblete, Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) chief, said they already finished 27 percent of the project and were seven percent ahead of schedule as of Feb. 6.

Construction of the entire hospital building is expected to be finished by April 2017.

C.E. Padilla Construction, the contractor of the PHP515-million first phase of the project, earlier said the new CCMC will be able to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake.

The old CCMC building was demolished after it was heavily damaged by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol on Oct. 15, 2013.

Poblete said the hospital is being built by block, to leave space for the heavy equipment to move around the site.

He said the 1.2-hectare lot where the hospital will stand was divided into three blocks.

“So we will raise the floors on a per-block basis. Once one block is completed, we will move to the other block and construct another four floors,” he said.

Poblete said the contractor is now is raising the four floors on the block near N. Bacalso Avenue, which they are hoping they can finish by Feb. 24, the city’s 79th Charter Day. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS