CH to hasten CCMC construction

CEBU, Philippines — The current administration of the Cebu City government is eyeing to have a complete and functional Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) within its three-year term.

Both Mayor Edgardo Labella and Vice Mayor Michael Rama have envisioned to finish the construction of the 10-story CCMC building on Natalio Bacalso Avenue corner Panganiban Street.

Rama, chairman of the City Council’s committee on health and hospitals, said he will call for a meeting with the C.E Padilla, the project contractor, and the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works within the week to discuss possible measures to fast track the construction.

“We must be fast enough, quick enough. Dali ra kaayo ang three years. I don’t know if we can see a building maabot og ten floors and number two, a building nga fully operational and being managed, I wish being managed the way we envisioned it to be managed,” he said.

He said the completion of the hospital is one of the “big challenges” of the executive department.

Moreover, Rama said the seven floors of the new structural framework of the hospital building have already been completed as of last week.

“I went (last week) to visit the building. I am happy nga naabot og seventh floor. Not happy because 2016 unta, we were already of the pursuit nga in less than three years, mahuman na unta,” he told reporters.

It can be recalled that Rama, who was the mayor in 2013, ordered the condemned 45-year-old hospital demolished in February 2014. The old hospital was declared structurally unfit following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that rocked Cebu and Bohol in 2013.

In June 2015, the C.E. Padilla Construction, Inc. was given the green light to start the construction of the first phase of the project amounting to P514 million.

On January 23 this year, the contract for the second phase of the hospital building was also awarded to C.E Padilla Construction Inc. with a contract price of P283.4 million.

The second phase includes the installation of power lines, communication tools, and others. The city government has set aside P300 million for second phase.

City Engineer Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez said the first phase was completed in May, while the second phase is expected to be completed this October.

As of now, Enriquez said the contractor is still doing an assessment as to the ongoing construction. (FREEMAN)