Thursday, January 25, 2007 Capitol, Mandaue to shell out P5M each for CICC operations
THE Cebu Provincial and Mandaue City Governments will shell out P5 million each from their coffers to finance operations of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
The CICC management board also agreed during its first meeting yesterday that the P10-million fund will be deposited in a joint bank account.
The board is chaired by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and co-chaired by Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano.
The two local government units have three representatives to the board. Capitol has consultant Pablo John Garcia, and Provincial Board Members Victor Maambong and Juan Bolo.
For Mandaue City, the representatives are Ouano’s son-in-law Nixon Dizon, Councilor Wenceslao Gakit and lawyer Manuel Monzon.
The board also created a technical working group (TWG) that will determine the kind of events that will be allowed in CICC as well as the rates.
Four members each from Capitol and from the Mandaue City Government comprise the TWG. They are Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda, Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla, Provincial Health Officer Cristina Giango and Garcia’s chief of staff Elizabeth Francia.
Open to public
Mandaue City is represented by City Attorney Erwin Rommel Heyrosa, engineer Hidelisa Latonio, architect Florentino Nimor and Mayor Ouano’s daughter-in-law Cheryl Ouano.
The TWG will also be recommending to the board the manner on how to operate and manage the facility.
The board is considering opening the CICC to the public on Valentine’s Day.
Maambong raised yesterday the possibility of opening the facility to the public considering its historic value and its prominence.
Gakit, on the other hand, said they have received several calls asking if they can hold educational tours in the facility.
The TWG will also determine whether the CICC will be collecting fees from visitors and use these for the maintenance of the facility.
The TWG has to come up with its report on Monday and give a copy to all the board members as it will hold a special meeting on Tuesday.
The TWG has to draw up the guidelines fast as the events that the Department of Tourism booked will start on March. (MBG)
