DESPITE earlier statements that repairs on the recently renovated Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) track oval would begin right after the 2024 Pasigarbo sa Sugbo in August, a city official said on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, that no official timeline for the repairs has been set yet.
In an interview on Thursday, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said he has yet to schedule a meeting with SBD Builders, the contractor that renovated and installed the new rubber surface of the track oval as part of the preparations for the Palarong Pambansa, which the City hosted last July.
Garcia last Sept. 3 told reporters that the contractor was still out of the country, and he was hoping that Shaun Doherty, representative of SBD Builders, would be back within the week.
SunStar Cebu tried to get Doherty’s comment but to no avail.
Local reporters sought Garcia’s statement on Thursday after a karate athlete sought P880,000 in damages after a “track oval injury,” for allegedly suffering a broken finger due to defective rubber on the track while training for a karate tournament.
Garcia said he had already been informed of the incident and advised the victim to complain about the contractor and demand damages.
He added that he will conduct an ocular inspection again next week to determine the condition of the track oval.
“We will let the process take its course,” Garcia said.
“But on the side of the City Government, I am very concerned. If it was true that track oval caused the injuries,” he added.
The athlete demanded an accumulated P880,000 worth of damages, including medical expenses (P30,000), loss of income (P550,000) and moral (P200,000) and exemplary damages (P100,000).
The track oval repairs were scheduled to begin immediately after the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo last Aug. 25-26; however, more than two weeks since the event ended, no repairs have started.
As of Thursday, several orange cones were placed on the innermost lane of the oval.
Jovito Taborada, CCSC manager, in an interview on Thursday, said he could not recall exactly when the cones were placed on the track.
However, he said they were set up to prevent further damage and to caution runners and the public to avoid the affected areas.
Taborada added that he awaits Garcia’s decision regarding the closure of the track for repairs, noting that no specific timeline has been established.
Council resolution
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, City Councilor Rey Gealon passed a resolution urging the acting mayor to begin repairs immediately and ensure that the contractor, SBD Builders, covers the costs.
Gealon also called on Garcia to temporarily close the damaged lanes to prevent accidents, noting the City Government’s subsidiary liability as the owner and operator of the track.
He emphasized that victims of any incidents would be entitled to seek compensation not only from the contractor but also from the City Government.
SunStar Cebu earlier reported that Garcia assured repairs would be done section by section to keep the track open to the public.
He added that payment for the previous rehabilitation has not yet been made and will only be processed once the City is satisfied with the contractor’s repairs.
Oval controversy
Despite the visible damage in some lanes, the CCSC track oval remains open to the public.
The track oval renovation project was marred with controversy following the delayed curing and installation of the new rubber of the track oval last May 2024, a year after the sports facility was closed to the public to spearhead the Palaro preparation.
A few days before the Opening of the Palaro, lumps, and damages were discovered in some portions of the track oval after it was completed and turned over to the Cebu City Government last June.
SBD Builders was awarded the contract to rehabilitate and renovate the track oval after more than a decade since its last renovation. / EHP