BALAMBAN, a town in midwest Cebu, has inched closer to a promised economic spur with the 73 percent completion of the site development for the upcoming Cebu Provincial Government Center to be built in Barangay Cambuhawe.
Mayor Ace Stefan Binghay told SunStar Cebu on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 that ever since Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia announced her plan to move the Provincial Capitol from Cebu City to Balamban, there has been increased talks on possible investment and opportunities.
He said several investors and businessmen have met and called him up for possible tie-ups.
Binghay said this will lead to more jobs and economic activity, elevating the way of life of his constituents.
Balamban is home to Cebu’s ship-building industry with the presence of two international shipbuilding firms.
Binghay said the move will help decongest transactions in Cebu City as more Cebuanos from the westside portion of both the North and South will have more access to Capitol’s services.
Site visit
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 has spearheaded the site development of the new 2.3-hectare government center which has an elevation of 135 meters above sea level. Completion of the building’s foundation has been set in November 2023.
Sugbo News reported on Monday, Oct. 2, that upon completion of the site development, Phase 2 of the project or the construction of the building itself will begin by early 2024.
The governor visited the site on Monday with DPWH 7 project engineers Jun dela Cruz and Christopher Mike Cabarrubias. They were accompanied by Third District Rep. Pablo John Garcia and Binghay.
Garcia said the new Capitol, a replica of the old edifice, will bring socio-economic development to the western portion of the province.
The Cebu Provincial Government has acquired six titled lots measuring 17.5 hectares at the project site, while 50 more hectares along the premises will be secured to accommodate provincial and regional offices of national line agencies.
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pledged additional funds for the project after the latter’s visit to the Governor’s office on Friday, Oct. 6.
Ejercito was the fourth senator to commit funding for the construction of the new government center following Senators Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (P100 million), Francis Tolentino (P80 million) and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who did not disclose his pledge.
Museum
The current Provincial Capitol building that sits on a compound in Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City, was built during the American occupation in June 1938.
Once the new government center in Balamban is completed, the old historic building will be converted into a museum and a Cebu tourism site.
The DPWH 7 used a P200 million budget allocation from the National Government through the General Appropriations Act of 2022 for the site development and foundational works for the said project.
The Cebu Provincial Government also allocated P500 million for the construction of the new Capitol Building.
Site development includes alteration of topography, clearing, paving, grading, construction, site preparation, and other activities vital for the construction and completion of infrastructure projects.
The upcoming building is vital for the cityhood bid of Balamban, a first-class municipality accessible both from the north and south of the province and only an hour’s drive away from Cebu City via the Transcentral Highway. (EHP)