A DECADE ago, the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) hosted delegates from member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who gathered in the province for the regional bloc’s 12th summit.
It also hosted delegates of the 2nd East Asia Summit, a forum held by leaders of 16 countries in the East Asian region.
In 2009, the CICC showcased the best of what Regions 6, 7 and 8 had to offer as part of the One Visayas celebration. The week-long event offered culinary demonstrations, film showings and lectures, among others.
The CICC indeed has seen better days since it was built in record time—construction began in April 2006 and was completed sometime in late November that same year--during the administration of then governor Gwen Garcia, now third district representative and deputy speaker of the 17th Congress.
The elements have not been kind to the structure, which is made up mostly of structural steel, glass and aluminum cladding.
The final blow, or blows, came in 2013, when the center sustained heavy damage during the earthquake in October, followed by the devastation wrought by typhoon Yolanda in November.
It hasn’t helped that Garcia’s successor thought it was not necessary to repair the damage and instead opted to let the facility languish and slide to decrepitude.
The pomp and pageantry and the optimism that were associated with the CICC have been replaced by the sight of hundreds of families, who lost their homes to a fire in Barangays Guizo and Mantuyong last year, trying to eke out an existence.
Granted the families will soon be moved to a permanent relocation site, but the future of the CICC, which sits on a 3.8-hectare property at the Mandaue City Reclamation Center, is far from secure.
The Mandaue City Government is preparing to officially take over the administration and ownership of the facility from the Provincial Government after the Provincial Board approved a resolution to sell the CICC for P300 million to the former.
To recover the cost of acquisition, Mayor Luigi Quisumbing announced that the City “will opt for a public-private partnership so it won’t spend on the construction, administration, management and utilities of the structure.”
With that said, the mayor also revealed that regardless of who the City partners with, the damaged CICC will have to go under the wrecking ball so that “we will be able to open up the CICC for developments for the benefit of the city.”
If you’re wondering why I’m suddenly waxing nostalgic, I have fond memories of the center since I was a frequent visitor when I was a consultant of then governor Gwen.