First phase of Carbon market finished before year ends: CH

THE Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) assured the Carbon Market will be operational before the year ends.

Phase one will be completed in the proposed three-story Carbon Market.

Engr. Joel Reston of DEPW said pile driving is ongoing. The city engineer is also working on revising the program of work and estimates (Powe) to rebuild the Carbon Market because the original was in 2008 yet.

When the Powe is done, the engineering crew can start building the foundation and the frames.

This will constitute the first phase of the program and DEPW will put on roofing so the vendors can start using the structure.

There is P170 million for the first phase of the project, with P100 million incorporated in the 2012 budget and the P70 million from a previous allocation.

In 2000, the City Government proposed to rebuild the Carbon Market, which was hit by a fire in the 1990s. But different problems prevented the construction from being started.

Market

The latest problem was the funding, since the original P70 million was not enough to put up the base of the market.

Since the Council granted an additional P100 million in the 2012 budget, the Council said, “There should be no excuses this time. We anticipate that with this additional funding, implementation will start.”

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants to finish the Carbon Market before his first term ends. But he was disappointed when President Benigno Aquino III merely advised him to make a foreign loan to finish the market.

Rama said it was the only financial assistance he asked from the President but it was denied.