The Department of Trade and Industry expressed interest in converting the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) into the Cebu International Trade Exhibition Center.
“DTI has been instructed to coordinate with us because they are interested in developing CICC for its original purpose which is CITEC,” Cebu provincial administrator Mark Tolentino said.
Tolentino said the CICC management board composed of representatives from the provincial government and Mandaue City, is working closely with DTI to craft a proposal that will determine how the national government can help.
The board met last Monday to discuss how much the rehabilitation of the center would cost DTI and what other changes they will have to introduce, he said.
“We will meet them again in two weeks. Hopefully, we can come up with the final costing and estimates for the approval of the board. Then that is what we will forward to DTI,” Tolentino said.
Welcome development
Tolentino said he hopes the proposal will be included in next year’s national budget. He said the DTI interest is a “welcome development.”
“We can still move forward with the use and rehabilitation of the complex and for a broader purpose and at the same time, it will not be coming from us,” he said.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said the idea to have the national govenrment develop the CICC was raised during the visit of President Benigno Aquino III last May 1.
“He saw that the city is known for its furniture industry,” Davide told reporters during the turnover of a province-owned lot to the Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday.
Davide said during the visit, the Mandaue City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) sought Aquino’s help and asked if it is possible to convert the CICC into an expo center.
“The president said, ‘give us the costing and I will refer it to DTI Secretary (Ramon, Jr.) Jimenez,’” he said.
Other options, including Mandaue City buying the property, have been overtaken by this development, Davide said.
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