THE rebidding of the P700 million in savings from a previously terminated contract will push through to complete the construction of Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), according to Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.
Broader context: The CCMC has been under construction for a decade, facing numerous delays and complications. Its completion is crucial for providing healthcare to Cebu City residents.
Driving the news: Acting Mayor Garcia is determined to proceed with rebidding P700 million to complete the CCMC, despite opposition from the City Council.
“I can no longer wait because this has been delayed for 10 years... The Cebuanos have been waiting for this hospital,” he said in an interview on Monday, Sept. 30.
Key details
The P700 million comes from savings from a terminated P1 billion contract in 2022.
The terminated contract was Phase 4 of the construction of the CCMC, which, due to prolonged slippage, forced now preventively suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to cancel the contract between the City and the joint venture of M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. and Avecs Corp.
The allocated funding will now be part of the proposed Phase 5 of the CCMC construction.
Garcia aims to start construction by November 2024 and finish within a year.
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) is expected to award the project by October 2024.
The other side
In council’s session last Sept. 26, City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos urged Garcia to delay the rebidding process, citing:
Unclear planning and funding;
Unresolved timetable issues; and
Complications in design changes and implementation.
This was the third time for de los Santos to urge the temporary halting of the rebidding process.
Reply
Garcia said the executive department has already complied and been transparent with the request of the City Council to submit documentary requirements, including the summary of all actual works, total disbursed funds in relation to the CCMC’s civil works, and the upcoming or proposed civil works for the facility’s completion.
He added that the program of work and estimate (Powe) for the rebidding of the P700 million “city saving” had already been endorsed to BAC.
By the numbers
CCMC currently has seven floors, with only the first
three operational.
P110 million is owed to CE Padilla Construction Inc. for previous work.
P205 million in private donations is earmarked for the last three floors.
History
The old CCMC building sustained structural damage during the 2013 earthquake.
The new CCMC was proposed to have a 10-story building.
What’s next: Garcia expects the BAC to publish bidding proposals for potential bidders soon, while the City Council continues to scrutinize the project’s planning and financial aspects. / EHP