Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama gets behind the levers of a backhoe to symbolically kick off the construction of a new Cebu City Medical Center building. (CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)
Teresita Figuracion was in tears as she watched Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama lead the ceremonial demolition of the old Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) building yesterday morning.
As head of the hospital’s housekeeping section for the past five years, Figuracion said it’s painful to see the structure that she learned to love come to its end.
But for Rama, the demolition of the 45-year-old hospital building will pave the way for the construction of the “people’s hospital” that he is dreaming for the city.
“This is the day that the Lord has made. We must all rejoice and be glad because we will soon have the people’s hospital to be erected where we are now,” he said.
The ceremonial demolition was held as the city marked its 77th Charter Day.
Canopy
Before the demolition started, a priest was called in to pray over and sprinkled holy water on the building and its surroundings.
Rama then boarded a backhoe and directed the machine to hit a portion of the hospital’s canopy with a hydraulic jackhammer.
Portions of concrete crashed to the ground as the crowd applauded.
Two city-owned backhoes were used in yesterday’s ceremonial demolition. One was driven by a city engineering office worker.
Some CCMC personnel including Figuracion were in tears as they watched the ceremonial demolition.
Contractor
June Nadine Sison, head of the construction division of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), said the Cebu City government still had to enter into a contract with a private contractor who will work on the demolition.
Rama said he wanted a private contractor to do the demolition works at no cost to the city.
The city government would need P1.5 billion to fund the hospital reconstruction project.
Acting City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said they have so far raised P11 million from local and foreign donations and from the city’s “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko” campaign.
Retired judge Esparanza Garcia handed to Rama a P1 million check donation from her CFI Cebu Community Cooperative as contribution to the CCMC reconstruction project.
Rama said the city will continue to solicit contributions for its reconstruction project and he would not mind even if he will be called a “professional beggar” for doing so.
“The piso that we collect (from donations) may just be a piso now but tomorrow it will be a hospital for everybody,” he said.