Casas confirms halt of construction of new CCMC building

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr. has confirmed that the city government has cancelled the construction of the fourth phase of the new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) building temporarily.

In a press conference on Friday, July 2, 2021, Casas said the city government plans to increase the budget for construction and to let only one contractor finish the rest of the work.

“Actually, tinuod na siya. Ang phase 4, we decided nga i-cancel lang ang phase 4 kay sa phase 1 to 3, nakakita man gyud ta’g mga challenges nga lain-lain ang contractor nga nagdala,” Casas said.

 “Grabe kaayo ang challenges nila, so since naa’y gi-include karon sa Supplemental Budget nga P1 billion, naka-decide ang Bids and Awards Committee nga paaboton na lang siya so that ang completion gyud sa entire CCMC, ato na lang siyang i-award og usa ka qualified nga contractor,” he added.

The City Council is yet to tackle the proposal.

To recall, former Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos, deputy mayor for health in the previous administration, posted on her Facebook page a copy of the Notice of Cancellation dated May 4, 2021.

The document, which is signed by Casas, by authority of Mayor Edgardo Labella, says the completion and full operation of the CCMC is among the top priorities of the Labella administration but “To achieve it, additional budget is need.”

The budget approved for the contract amounts to P499,992,843.01.

Different contractors handled the early phases of the CCMC construction.

“Mausa na lang, oo, kay kung mapareho gihapon dinhi sa phase 1 to 3 nga lain-lain ang contractor, mura og ma-chopsuey gyud ang outcome… Dugangan ang pondo then i-bid siya as one,” Casas said.

The new building of CCMC in Barangay Pahina Central was inaugurated partially on December 28, 2020 even without inspection by the Office of the Building Official (OBO).

Councilor Jerry Guardo, head of the City Council’s committee on infrastructure, said at that time that the city government allotted P500 million for the completion of the remaining floors by 2021.

Labella has said the developments at the hospital would be undertaken gradually.

Labella said during the inauguration that the city aims to complete the 10-story building in 18 months and P1.3 billion was needed to finish the construction.

When Labella became mayor in 2016, the city spent P566 million for Phase 1 of construction, P300 million for Phase 2, and P100 million for Phase 3.

The contractors of the project are CE Padilla, BF Garay Construction, and Charlz Construction.

The hospital was supposed to open in early 2020 but this was cancelled after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

It was Vice Mayor Michael Rama who was mayor in 2014 who ordered the old CCMC building demolished after it incurred massive damage during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas in 2013.

Construction of the new CCMC building began in 2015. – JMO (FREEMAN)