CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama has warned that he will cancel the contract with M.E. Sicat Construction if the latter fails to complete the construction of the 10-story Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) before Oct. 28, 2022.
Rama said he visited the CCMC on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, and he was dismayed by the building’s progress.
The contractor has built the first seven floors of the public hospital.
“What is the purpose of having a contract and then it is not being completed? Because I can wait anyway, my term is three years, and I’m serious because di ko gusto og (I don’t like) lies,” said Rama, as reported by the Cebu City Public Information Office on its Facebook page.
In an interview with SunStar, Rama said he would cancel the contract if the construction company would not meet his demand.
“Mao nay akong (That’s my) order. Di ta magpakita nga pwerte gyung arat arat pero (We don’t have to show we are in a hurry but) we have to put everything accordingly kay naa man mi gisabotan sa wa pa ko nipirma sa kadtong (because we had an agreement before I signed the) notice to proceed, contract with Sicat contractor,” he said.
Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia supported Rama’s stand, saying the completion of the hospital is long overdue.
“The contract has long been signed and we know that the most important aspect right now is the people’s hospital services. So, it is very important that CCMC will be finished on time,” Garcia said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The City Government awarded the M.E. Sicat Construction the P916.8-million contract to build the phase 4 of the CCMC on April 6, 2022. The target date of completion for the 10-story building is October 28, 2022, which is also Rama’s birthday.
Rama vowed earlier to deliver topnotch services to Cebuanos, as he aims to attain a “Singapore-like” status for Cebu City.
He said during his inaugural address last June 30 that attaining this kind of status is not impossible now that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, incoming House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and incoming Senate President Mark Villar are on his side.
He said Thursday, July 7, that Cebuanos can avail themselves of the CCMC’s services for free.
Based on the signed agreement between the City and M.E. Sicat Construction, the contractor must finish the 10 stories of the building by Oct. 28. It has yet to build the ceiling, ventilation on the lower ground floor, water lines, drainage for the hospital laboratory, more rooms for the intensive care unit, room for CT scan, and doors, among others.