Settlers worried over relocation in wake of CICC deal

Families who have made a home of the grounds of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) want Mandaue City Hall to provide for them a relocation site not far from school and their livelihood. CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza

WITH Mandaue City closing a deal with the province to acquire the dilapidated Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), the displaced fire victims who took residence at the building voiced their concern over their relocation.

Jose Mepisa, who said he has been living in Mandaue City since 1972, said he doesn’t want to be relocated far from the city. Another settler, Meryl Lucero, also doesn’t want to move far from the city.

“Maayo kung i-relocate pero ngari ra g’yud dinhi, dili kay adto ilabay sa layo (It is okay to be relocated as long as it’s close, not somewhere too far),” he said.

Mepisa was unable to join the raffling of lots for the relocation site since the list was based on the 2008 census.

Lucero, who has three children studying in a school near the CICC, said she hoped she won’t be relocated too far from the building.

“Unsaon man na nako nga naa man nagskwela akong anak sa duol? Gasto na sab sa byahe (What will I do when I have children studying here? I’ll have to spend for fare),” she said.

Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III signed a deal turning over the CICC building for P300 million.

The CICC was built in time for the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit during the tenure of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

Even before the building sustained damage wrought by the Oct. 15, 2013 earthquake and then Super Typhoon Yolanda in Nov. 8, 2013, the provincial government sustained high maintenance costs for the CICC.

Under the deal, the Mandaue City government will pay P200 million to the province before the year ends and P100 million on June 30, 2018.

Governor Davide said he will use the P300 million to upgrade the province’s hospitals.