First phase of CCMC construction seen to start this week

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama leads the lowering of the time capsule during the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Cebu City Medical Center yesterday. With him are Cebu City Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and Councilor Dave Tumulak.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

THE construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center officially kicked off yesterday with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Cebu City officials and representatives of the winning bidder,  CE Padilla Construction Inc.

The firm’s president,  Engr.  Catalino Padilla, is confident they can finish the first phase of the building ahead of schedule.

The contract states that the company has 21 months to complete the project.

Engr. Joshua Padilla, the project manager, said they are expecting to receive the notice to proceed within the week as they have already accepted the notice of award.

“Since we already received the notice of award, we expect it (notice to proceed) within the week or at the latest, within the month. We can mobilize (personnel and equipment) within a week and then we can start,” Padilla said.

CE Padilla Construction gave the lowest bid of P514.97 billion during the opening of bids on June 18.   Two other contractors were also declared eligible for the project — the joint venture of SCDI-MCEI as second-lowest bidder with a bid of P530 million and E. M. Cuerpo as the third-lowest bidder with a bid of P533.88 million.

READ: Manila-based firm gets contract for CCMC project

Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, David Tumulak, Gerardo Carillo, Noel Wenceslao and Philip Zafra.

Also present was Catalino’s wife and Joshua’s mother, Maria Concepcion, the firm’s finance manager.

Rama thanked the people behind the “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko,” saying that it jump-started the movement to build the new CCMC.

The CCMC fund drive was the brainchild of Councilor delos Santos as the city initially did not have the budget for the construction of a new CCMC.

The “piso-piso” collection placed in water containers reached  P13,843,690.16 when it ended in December last year.

“As your mayor, I will never forget the Piso Mo, Hospital Ko. That movement was the beginning. That movement spells the difference,” he said.

During the ceremony, Rama kissed the forehead of Councilor delos Santos.

The two are allies in public, but delos Santos is reportedly being courted  by the Bando-Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) into joining them in next year’s election.

In her speech, Maria Concepcion thanked the Cebu City government for giving them the opportunity to serve the Cebuanos.

“We know the need and importance of this hospital to all the Cebuanos and with our track record, experience and dedication, we can assure you all that  CE Padilla Construction Inc. will exert its best effort to deliver at the soonest possible time, a quality and a world-class hospital that the city government and all the Cebuanos can be truly be proud of ” she said.

Atty. Rey Chris Panugaling, chief of hospital, said they are happy that the construction will finally start this week.

CCMC was declared unfit for occupancy after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Cebu and Bohol and October 2013.  Since then, CCMC has been temporarily housed at the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) building.