MANDAUE City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano has assured that his administration will support the completion of the Mandaue Government Center despite site issues and earlier concerns over a P3-billion loan.
Ouano gave the assurance following an inspection of several offices inside the Mandaue City Hall compound on Tuesday, July 2, 2025, where he observed that most departments were currently operating in cramped spaces.
Ouano said the construction of the new government center will be a significant help for a more expansive facility to house government operations and improve public services.
Ouano expressed full support for the project’s objective. He clarified that his camp’s concern during the campaign period was never about the construction of the government center itself, but rather the method of funding it.
“We never opposed the government center. Our concern was the financing method of the P3 billion loan. That amount could have been realigned for social services, such as increasing assistance to seniors and persons with disabilities, among others,” he said in Cebuano.
The project was launched during the administration of former Mayor Jonas Cortes and is being funded by a P3-billion loan from the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines.
The loan is payable over 15 years and has raised concerns over the long-term financial obligations of the city.
Public-Private Partnership
Despite his initial preference to pursue the project through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to avoid direct costs to the city, Ouano said the City will proceed with the existing plan since the loan has already been approved and construction has begun.
The new government center is being built on a 4.3-hectare property in front of the old Cebu International Convention Center (CICC). The contract was awarded to WT Construction.
The facility is envisioned as an eight-story one-stop-shop building that will centralize all City Government departments and other national agencies operating in Mandaue.
Aside from centralizing public services, the new building will incorporate green design features as part of the City’s push for sustainability and modern urban infrastructure.
While the new government center is now under construction, Ouano said the City remains open to PPP arrangements, particularly in redeveloping the old CICC building, which sits behind the new construction site.
He explained that his original preference was to build the government center beside the Mandaue City Sports Complex, citing the area’s high property value and its potential for joint ventures with private investors.
Despite his initial reservations, Ouano said City Hall will move forward with the existing plans. He also reiterated his commitment to continue key infrastructure projects started by the previous administration, including the ongoing rehabilitation of the Mandaue City Sports Oval.
That project is being handled by PLD Construction.
Ouano said despite the City spending around P220 million on site development, there is still no actual sports oval as no budget has been allocated for the oval itself, only for the site development.
He plans to have the project reviewed to check on its status and when construction of the oval can finally begin.
Ouano is hopeful it will be completed by the second quarter of 2026.
He said that the budget for the actual oval has been included in next year’s allocation. / CAV