After being forced to request the allocation of P210 million for the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has given the go signal for the completion of the city hospital.
This came following the City Council’s approval of Supplemental Budget (SB)-1, which contained the said amount, to complete the eight to 10th floors of the medical facility.
The project is supposedly already covered by donations by well-meaning individuals for the City to finally complete the hospital’s edifice, but the Cebu Medical Society (CMS) did not heed Mayor Garcia’s request to have the total amount turned over to the City Government.
Following the passage of SB-1, he already gave his approval for bidding to finally proceed.
To recall, the previous administration coursed the P205-million donations through CMS instead of having them given straight to the City Treasurer’s Office, forcing Mayor Garcia to include in SB-1 P210 million for CCMC’s completion.
“Ambot lang nganong dili gyud na nila i-turn-over. Mas maayo pa tingali magpakita og bank book, nga naa pa nang kwartaha sa CMS. Mas malipay pa tingali ko (I do not know why CMS refuses to hand over the money. I think it is best that it shows us the bank book, to know if the money is still there. That would make me happy),” he told a press conference.
Mayor Garcia said that with the approval of SB-1 and once CMS gives the donated amount, he would use the money to buy more equipment for CCMC.
Completion of the CCMC, as well as further improvements at the Guba Community Hospital and the Apas Super Family Health Center, is among the mayor’s flagship program, health being one of the core thrusts of his administration.
Just recently, he led the blessing and inauguration of the Labangon Super Family Health Center, which he said would start operating in a month’s time. / paid for by friends of Raymond Alvin N. Garcia.