City Hall waives fees for IEC pavilion

THE Cebu City government agreed to waive the locational clearance and building permit fees for the planned Pavilion to be built for the coming International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2016.

In its regular session last Wednesday, the City Council approved a resolution filed by Councilor Nida Cabrera to waive the fees after Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma wrote the city asking for the exemption.

“The Pavilion at the Diocesan Seminary in barangay Luz, this city, shall serve as the main venue of the IEC on January 2016, a momentous event that will showcase and promote the Cebuano identity and its unique history and cultural tradition,” Cabrera said in her resolution.

It will mark the second time the Philippines will host the IEC which is rotated in each continent every four years. The first time was in Manila in 1937. The IEC will be hosted by the Cebu Archdiocese together with the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

“Alongside this great privilege is the equally great responsibility of ensuring a memorable and meaningful congress. (Hence we need) to construct a pavilion at the minor seminary compound at Barrio Luz, Cebu City,” Palma said in his letter. The pavilion will be the main venue of the IEC.
Palma said there is a “very big possibility” that Pope Francis will be present at the event since the schedule was suggested and approved by Rome.