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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Architect denies contractor pulled out from CICC
Architect Manuel Guanzon denied allegations that a sub-contractor of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) has pulled out from the project because they had not yet been paid.
“It’s not true. Where in hell did you get that?” Guanzon said in yesterday’s 888 News Forum at the Parklane International Hotel.
DyAB commentator Leo Lastimosa said in his radio program yesterday that a sub-contractor of CICC has backed out from the project due to non-payment of their services. It is even feared that this could cause delay in the structure’s completion.
Guanzon admitted that the payment for W.T. Construction indeed got delayed but it did not lead to any work stoppage. No sub-contractor of the CICC dropped out from the project either, he said.
“We are just very lucky that we have contractors like Willy Te, who works as if there is no tomorrow. They’re not like other contractors who would immediately suspend their projects just because of a delayed payment,” said Guanzon.
“If we have nothing better to do, just pray. Please help us pray,” he added.
As of Monday, the CICC is already 73 percent complete, with a “positive slippage” of three percent, meaning it is ahead of schedule by one week.
Guanzon and Capitol consultant Apollo Enriquez also gave a brief update on the status of the CICC construction during the forum yesterday.
Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., who was also present, said people in Manila are “waiting and holding their breaths” on the CICC.
Enriquez said the substructure has been completed and the superstructure is now being built, with the trusses already being put in place.
Site development, including its landscape, will be completed by Oct. 15, said Guanzon.
Before Oct. 25, the interior works of the building should have already started and this would be completed within one month.
By Nov. 15, contractors will be testing the air-conditioning system, elevators, sound systems
and other facilities.
Guanzon said the structure’s interior works would be done in accordance with the requirements and needs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.
After the summit, the contractor will have to re-do CICC’s interiors to suit its function as a convention center.
But Enriquez explained that what will be temporarily set up for the summit are just the partition walls. These partition walls can be easily removed after the Asean.
As for the walling and other facilities, these would be permanent already, he said.
Guanzon said only the CICC’s plenary hall and leaders’ room will be carpeted in time for the summit. He assured, though, that the other areas will also be carpeted after the summit.
The plenary hall, where the Asean ministers will be meeting, has a theater-seating capacity of 2,000 or a banquet-seating capacity between 800 and 1,000.
Enriquez said they will start CICC’s roofing by next week and they hope to complete more than half of the entire structure’s roof by Sept. 15. By then, Malacañang will start working on the international media center for the Asean summit.
The National Organizing Committee (NOC) will convert the CICC’s 3,000-square-meter trade hall into an international media center for the summit.
Enriquez said the open space area will be turned over bare to Malacañang’s team, which will install cables, gadgets and other equipment for the media center.
After the summit, Malacañang will get back all those installations and return the area bare to Capitol.
“There is no reason this CICC will not be completed, because we cannot postpone the Asean,” said Guanzon. (ROV)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 23, 2006 issue)
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