Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes lead the groundbreaking of the new police station in Barangay Subangdaku. | CDN Digital photo / Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – A police station that will be the first-of-its-kind in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas will soon rise in Barangay Subangdaku in Mandaue City.
The structure that is estimated to cost P60 million will have six floors, according to Mandaue City lone district Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon.
Dizon, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) and the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction project on Monday, July 10.
The building, that will soon be occupied by the Subangdaku Police Station, will be built at Camp Demetrio Cortes, a 400 square meter property that is owned by the city government.
It is located is close to the old North Bus Terminal and the Subangdaku Fire Substation and just within walking distance from the Subangdaku barangay hall.
The construction project will be funded from the General Appropriations Act through Dizon’s efforts.
Major Romeo Caacoy, chief of the Subangdaku Police Station, said they hope to occupy the new structure next year. Construction period is estimated to last for one year, he added.
At present, they occupy the ground floor of the Subangdaku barangay hall.
This is what the new Subangdaku Police Station would look like. | CDN Digital photo / Mary Rose Sagarino
First-of-its-kind
Dizon said the new police station is expected to be the first-of-its-kind in Cebu and the region.
“P60 million [ang project cost]. Dili siya ang usual nga P6 million maybe the maximum is P12 million for a police station, but kani extraordinary. Something special gyud ba nga nahimoag P60 million for the city of Mandaue,” said Dizon.
The structure that was designed by DPWH-7 will have its own elevator and separate offices for the different divisions and departments of the Subangdaku Police Station that is under the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).
According to Caacoy, the building will also have a big detention cell to give enough space to persons under police custody.
The building will be biggest police station in Central Visayas, according to Police Colonel Noel Flores, the Deputy Regional Director for Operations of PRO-7, who came to representative Chief Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, the PRO-7 director.
Government Services
Mayor Cortes said he decided to place the new Subangdaku Police Station in Camp Demetrio Cortes so it that it would be closer to other government structures in the barangay.
“Kay ang tuyo nato nga in one vicinity naa ang atoang services para sa Barangay Subangdaku,” the mayor said.
Colonel Jeffrey Caballes, the MCPO director, expressed his appreciation to Dizon, the city government and DPWH for their continued support.
He said that the construction of a new and bigger police station is an added boost to their peace and order initiatives.
Subangdaku Police Station covers some of the bigger barangays in the city. These are Subangdaku, Tipolo, and Bakilid.
In all, Mandaue City has a total of six police stations.
Police Station 6 in Barangay Canduman was the first to occupy its own building in 2021. The five other police stations continue to occupy a portion of the barangay hall in their respective areas.
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