P33.3M for CCMC design: Consider paying firm - City dad to mayor

CEBU, Philippines - A Cebu City councilor is asking the city’s executive department to consider paying the P33.3 million professional fees demanded by an architectural firm which came up with the design and processed the city’s papers for the construction of the Cebu City Medical Center.

Councilor James Anthony Cuenco said he is hoping that the executive department will look into ways to pay Espina, Perez-Espina & Associates even if the services it rendered had no contract.

“Well, I cannot speak dinha sa council kay mao lagi na there was no contract. There was no bidding. Since duna man goy service rendered, it's but equitable nga we will give consideration,” he said.

Cuenco was part of the City Council which called for an executive session in the previous years to discuss the design of the new 10-storey CCMC building after the old building was demolished because of the 7.2 magnitude quake in October 2013.

Cuenco said he was present during the executive session when the Espinas were quoted as saying the architectural firm will render pro bono services.

But the firm recently said that regular services of any architecture firm were composed of four phases: the schematic design phase, design development phase, contract document phase, and the construction supervision phase. 

Under their billing statement, the Espinas were to give P8.5 million in pro bono services for the schematic design only, while the design development phase ( P8.5 million), contract documents phase (P21.2 million), and the construction phase (P4.2 million) were to be paid.

Cuenco said it was not mentioned during the session that the pro bono service was only for P8.5 million and not the entire P42 million.

“I was there when the architectural firm appeared before the council's executive session. And they said nga gratis gyod to. Mao lagi na as to which part of the architectural design ang gratis, wala ma-specify,” he said. He acknowledged that the best option to resolve the matter is for the firm to seek legal remedies.

To recall, the Cebu City Legal Office issued an opinion that the city has no legal basis to pay the P33.3 million since there was no notice of award signed by the city mayor in favor of the firm. It also does not have a Bids and Awards Committee resolution recommending to the mayor that the contract be awarded to the firm

In the statement, Omar Maxwell Espina, principal architect of the firm, said Rama told them that the P33.3 million professional fee will be sourced from the foreign pledges that the former mayor gathered for the CCMC.

Espina said the firm is fully aware of the Government Procurement Reform Act, saying that the law contains provisions for alternative procurement as in the case of emergencies. (FREEMAN)