Finishing the CCMC is a priority for the city

Sorry I couldn’t send a Wednesday column simply because the Wi-Fi was available to me for my Facebook use, but not the internet, so in the end I could not meet my deadline, just like what happened to my Monday column. Well, finally I’m getting a full service on the internet so I’m writing this advance column while I’m still in London waiting for my PAL flight back to Manila and finally to Cebu.

So I checked on the news in Cebu City and found out that mayor-elect Edgardo Labella wants the construction of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) hastened. I read earlier that by September CCMC would be finished. Honestly, I really don’t know why the construction of CCMC has taken this long. Doesn’t the contractor realize that he is rebuilding a hospital which our poor Cebuano constituents need so badly? This is why I’m glad that the mayor-elect has made this decision to hasten this project as soon as he assumes office.

Labella said he will meet with the Department of Engineering and Public Works and the project contractor as soon as he assumes office. We learned that the first three floors of the 10-story CCMC was said to be fully operational last March, but was deferred owing to unfinished construction. The opening of the new hospital has been moved several times with the deadline first set in December 2018, then extended to March, deferred again to April, and rescheduled to September. But the September opening might once more be deferred.

The contractor, C.E. Padilla Construction Inc., only started phase 2 of the project, which covers the interior design including windows, water piping, and electrical lines, at the end of last month. Phase 2 has a total contract price of P283.4 million. The construction started in July 2015 and was supposed to be completed in December 2018. Perhaps the city officials did not strictly impose a penalty against the contractor for failing to meet the deadlines. Maybe mayor-elect Labella should impose such a strict penalty if the new deadline is not met. I understand that the Cebu City government is holding the contractor liable for liquidated damages for the delay of the project. In fact, the city has already computed at least P3 million worth of liquidated damages or penalties against the contractor for the delay of phase 1. At this point we would like to know when the new deadline for the total completion of the CCMC is.

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On the national news front, we learned that there are more than 20 business deals worth almost P300 billion expected to be signed during President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Japan as revealed by the trade department. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the agreements, which include investment pledges, will create at least 80,000 jobs. The investment pledges cover infrastructure, manufacturing, electronics, medical devices, business process outsourcing, power, electricity, transport, automotive, food manufacturing, and marine manpower industries. “Japanese investors remain bullish on the sustained growth momentum under the administration of President Duterte, given its aggressive infrastructure build-up, meaningful investment and financial reforms and demographic advantages,” said Secretary Lopez.

The trade department will also hold a business forum and roundtable discussions to promote the Philippines to Japanese investors. President Duterte is set to leave for Japan to attend Nikkei’s 25th international conference on the future of Asia, his third visit to the East Asian country as president. Indeed, Japan, which once occupied the Philippines during World War II has now become our most valuable friend in Asia.

President Duterte will also meet with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his seventh meeting with the Japanese leader, to discuss ways to enhance the ties between Manila and Tokyo. Japan was the Philippines’ second major trading partner last year with total trade at $20 billion. It was also the Philippines’ third major export market and import supplier.

However Pres. Duterte will not be meeting with the new Japanese Emperor Naruhito during his visit because of some protocols, according to the Philippines' envoy to Japan who pointed out that no one will see the emperor, not even any of the five that were invited to speak at Nikkei, because Nikkei is a private affair. President Duterte’s visit to Japan is not a state visit where meeting the new Japanese Emperor is part of the ceremony, but still Duterte’s visit to Japan was very positive for the Philippine economy.