Mayor Rama Wants First 4 Floors of New Cebu City Hospital Up by February 2016

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has asked the contractor to speed up construction of the PHP1.5-billion Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and have at least four floors of the 10-floor building standing by February next year.

The old CCMC building on N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, where the new and modern building will rise, was demolished after it was heavily damaged by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol last Oct. 15, 2013.

Rama said he wants significant progress by February when the city celebrates its Charter Day, and also because it’s an election year next year.

Engr. Catalino E. Padilla, president of CE Padilla Construction Inc., said that based on their plans and study, they can only finish the first two floors by February, but they will try their best to heed the mayor’s request.

The company won the bidding for the first phase of the building amounting to PHP515 million, which covers construction of the foundation and structural frame of the 10-story hospital.

Padilla talked with the mayor after the ceremonial pouring of the first layer of concrete for the new CCMC building Tuesday.

Padilla told the mayor the building’s footprint is almost half a hectare for each floor that’s why it will take time to finish one floor.

But Padilla told Rama they will try their best to make four floors by February.

Padilla said he also reported to the mayor that when the building is up, it will be able to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake.

Cebu City Engineer Jose Marie Poblete said the building’s target completion date is in April 2017 yet. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS