CCMC file photo.
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia called the need for immediate completion of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
In a press conference on June 1, Garcia expressed his concerns regarding the unfinished project. He pointed out that despite the ongoing efforts, portions of the facility have yet to be constructed, which leads to further delays in the project’s completion.
The immediate call came in response to the City Council’s recent decision to defer the bidding process for the P700 million allocated budget to the CCMC.
“So dako pa gyud kaayo’g kuwang ang atong CCMC, which I feel we already have to use the funding coming from the government, so that mahuman dayon. Kay if we rely on donations, ‘nya ilang nakolekta sa ilang donations perti pang gamaya, di gyud ta mahuman,” he said.
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On June 26, City Councilor Mary Ann Delos Santos addressed the prolonged and troubled construction of the CCMC in her privileged speech.
She discussed how the CCMC has been under construction for nearly nine years and has seen an expenditure of approximately P2 billion and more and still remains unfinished with only three floors partially operational.
Delos Santos urged the acting mayor to put on hold his plan of using P700 million savings in venturing into another bidding process until everything about CCMC construction is well explained.
When asked about the rebidding process, the acting mayor responded that it had not yet begun. However, he mentioned that they are currently evaluating the exact amount spent along with the programs of work and prerequisites before the bidding process.
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He also stressed that the city feels the need to put out money since reliance solely on donations could further delay the said project.
“So dako pa gyud kaayo’g kuwang ang atong CCMC which I feel we really already have to use funding coming from the government, so that mahuman dayon. Kay if we rely on donations, ‘nya ilang nakolekta sa ilang donations perti pang gamaya, di gyud ta mahuman,” he said.
Garcia further stated that the completion of the CCMC project cannot afford delays anymore since Cebu City is a “premiere city” and the CCMC’s completion is vital for the city’s constituents.