Mandaue ok to pay more

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City government expressed its willingness to pay the Cebu provincial government more in case the reappraised value of the Cebu International Convention Center is higher than the original selling price of P300 million.

It can be recalled the mega structure was sold by the Capitol to Mandaue during the time of former Cebu governor Hilario Davide III. Mandaue was then headed by Mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing.

According to Sugbo News, the official Facebook page of the provincial government, the renegotiation of the CICC sale came after the COA pointed out in its 2019 report that the sale lacked public bidding.

Since it lacks the public bidding, COA said that the reasonableness of the negotiated selling price and the conformity of the sale with existing regulations were not ascertained.

But while the provincial government and the Mandaue City government are awaiting the COA’s reappraisal of the property and evaluation of the sale, Mandaue’s government center project will proceed, as agreed by the parties.

“We both agree they proceed with the project because this is urgently needed by the City of Mandaue. Whatever the results sa evaluation sa COA should remedial or whatever measures be instituted such measures shall be accordingly instituted by both parties,” the governor said in a meeting with the mayor and COA representatives in a meeting recently.

The now dilapidated CICC was constructed during the time of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in 2006 and was used as the venue for the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2007 wherein 17 heads of State attended.

However, the megastructure which cost the province around P800 million by the province was destroyed following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Cebu on October 15, 2013 and Super Typhoon Yolanda in the same year.

After it was destroyed, it needed around P160 million for its repair and upgrading of the facilities, something that the Davide administration was not willing to spend on.

Since 2013, the CICC was left to rot but its parking area outside is currently being used by as a residential area for the fire victims of the city.

The lot which the structure was built is owned by the city government and this was materialized during the signing of Memorandum of Agreement between Garcia, who represented the Province and former mayor Thadeo Ouano, who represented the city in a ceremony last March 10, 2006.

Under the agreement, Cebu province will construct the building on the 38,136 square-meter-lot provided by the city. The lot is valued at P457 million. (FREEMAN)