Thursday, December 21, 2006 CICC ‘has no more leaks’
THE rains these past days have proven that the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) is leaking no more.
Engineer Ernesto Viernes, head of the Project Monitoring Office, said that except for personnel of the janitorial service who are cleaning the facility, there are no more workers inside the CICC.
However, there are still a few workers of WT Construction outside the building doing the drainage at the ramp.
Some furniture pieces have been pulled out by the owners as these need to be shipped but will be replaced for the summit days.
Secured
The facility is now being secured by the police force from Mandaue City and from the Capitol security group.
Strict security measures in allowing persons within the CICC compound are still being implemented.
The National Organizing Committee will be announcing the final dates of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit next month.
All but one
Summit spokesperson Victoriano Lecaros in an ABS-CBN interview said that all participants except for one have expressed willingness to come back to the country for the summit.
Lecaros, however, refused to name the country that has not yet given its confirmation.
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reportedly among those who cannot attend because he will be in Europe during the proposed summit days next month.
But just this week, Japan’s chief government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki announced that Abe will fly directly to the Philippines from Jan. 14-15 to attend the East Asia summit.
The National Organizing Committee of the Asean summit made a last-minute postponement of the event, originally scheduled on Dec. 11 to 14, because of typhoon Seniang that was forecast to hit Cebu on the day the heads of states were scheduled to arrive.
But there were also speculations that reports on terrorist threats and the political instability of the country because of the Charter Change may have contributed to the decision.
The typhoon gave the chance for Capitol to test the CICC for leaks and the postponement gave them time to perfect the preparations.
But because of the postponement, Cebu may have a shortage of hotel rooms because many balikbayans and tourists are expected to be in town for the Sinulog.
Marco Protacio, president of the Hotel, Resort and Restaurants Association of Cebu and manager of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, said in a radio dyLA interview that Cebu may need some 7,000 rooms next month because of the Sinulog and the summit.
There are, however, only some 5,000 rooms available.
Protacio also said they will implement a first come, first served policy, but will give priority to those who can pay in advance. (MBG)
