Thursday, November 09, 2006
Cebu convention center 'usable' by November 15th
CEBU CITY -- Most of the Provincial Board members who inspected the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) Wednesday are convinced it can be used during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in December.
But they doubt if the Capitol will meet its self-imposed November 15 deadline to complete the project.
Asked if she will support a supplemental budget should one be needed, PB Member Agnes Magpale said, "There is no more room for partisan politics now. In fact, it should be the concern of every Cebuano that this will be finished. Dili ra baya ang gobernador ang maulawan, kitang tanan (It's not just the governor who'll be embarrassed if this doesn't get done. All of us will be)."
Meanwhile, other preparations have fallen into place, despite funding constraints.
The asphalting of all roads on the ceremonial routes for the summit was completed last November 6, reported Roberto Lala, director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7.
"To be honest, our original target date was October 31 but because of bad weather and the asphalt plant bogged down, we made it last November 6," he said.
His original request for road improvements was P1.2 billion, but what the National Government released so far was P818 million. Because of this, Lala said, they have finished the projects with pending obligations to contractors.
It's the CICC, however, that is the most visible reminder of the summit preparations.
Inspection
"The truth of the matter is there are really problems: the lack of time, the government procedures that must be followed. If this was a purely private endeavor we wouldn't have any delays, but in the interest of transparency and to ensure that government funds are spent wisely, we follow procedures," said Philippine Ambassador to the Asean Marciano Paynor Jr.
He added: "We must give credit to the contractors because in spite of all these, they were able to deliver what you see now. Why put them down? And from the people in Cebu? Come on. Come on! So I don't really bother with all these, I just move on and do what we have to do."
Today, protocol and security officers of the Asean member-nations will be inspecting the facility. A mock-up room for the secretariat has been prepared, for presentation to the inspecting team.
If they approve the set-up, lighting and furnishings, it will be applied to all the rooms.
Paynor said the organizing committee is still discussing the final meetings, which rose from the original 56 to 82 so far, so they will need as many spaces as possible for the gatherings.
As for columnists and commentators who "have been guessing" and claiming that they have their sources on whether the CICC can be used for the summit, Paynor said, "We'll never know until we get there."
Safety
Magpale admitted she was alarmed by Philippine Star publisher Max Soliven's column last Monday, in which he questioned the safety of the structure and urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to pick another venue for the summit events.
"But the way I see it, the foundation is very solid...It is safe," Magpale said during the inspection.
For his part, PB Member Victor Maambong admitted he doubts if the facility will be functional by November 15.
"Every nerve of my body wishes that this can be finished because this will showcase that we can be united, we can be competent and we can be responsible for hosting such a very important international event," he said.
If not for the track record of architect Manuel Guanzon, his hopes for the completion of the project would be very slim by now, Maambong added.
Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr., a civil engineer, led the inspection, along with Guanzon.
Apart from Magpale and Maambong, those at the inspection included PB Members Juan Bolo, Carmiano Kintanar, Victoria Corominas, Antonio Almirante and Alfred Francis Ouano.
Completion
Corominas, an opposition board member, also expressed her doubt that the facility will be finished by November 15, but added that she prays it will be finished and serve its purpose because the Province has spent so much for it.
Sanchez, however, remains optimistic the facility will be usable by Nov. 15 and "100 percent complete" by Nov. 30.
He will ask the contractors to assign more supervisors to the construction site to maximize the productivity of the workers.
The vice governor earlier asked why the public is making such a fuss about the cost of the CICC, when the National Government has poured in far larger amounts for road improvements that are being done without biddings.
The completed road sections so far include Osmeña Blvd., Escario St., V. Rama, B. Rodriguez, Juan Luna and Salinas Drive, all in Cebu City.
The DPWH has yet to finish the paint job and lighting, Lala added. (MBG/JPM of Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (November 9, 2006 issue)
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