29-hectare SRP site for Pedro’s Mass needs filling materials

Organizers of the Pedro Calungsod thanksgiving Mass are looking for donors of filling and construction materials to help backfill the 29-hectare lot in the South Road Properties (SRP) where the historic event will be held.

Groundwork started last week.

“We’re a little behind schedule due to the lack of materials. We are running out of time because we have to finish construction by October. We’re looking for donors to help us,” said architect Ramon Vios, a volunteer in the committee on venue.

Fr. Raul Gallego, chairman of the committee on venue, presided over a weekly progress meeting yesterday at the Cebu City mayor’s conference room.

“The more filling materials that we have, especially if free, would make us very happy,” he said.

Site development is being conducted by private contractors of SM Prime after SM tycoon Hans Sy pledged his support for SRP as the venue of the thanksgiving Mass, which is expected to draw almost 1 million participants.

A total of 65,000 cubic meters alone is needed to backfill a portion where the  templete or small temple for the Mass will be held, Fr. Brian Brigoli told Cebu Daily News.

This spot has to be elevated to 8 feet to 10 feet from the ground before they can start building a platform where the altar and the steel structure of a templete will rise.

He said the project cost of the templete is P5 million but organizers hope donations will bring down the estimate.

Efforts to stretch limited resources are behind the call for more donations.

Fr. Gallego explained that so far P30 million in donations has been raised out of a  target of P60 million set by the Cebu Archdiocese for overall preparations for activities of the Calungsod canonization in Rome on Oct. 21 and the Cebu thanksgiving celebration on Nov. 30.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said during his noontime press conference that he would ask members of the Cebu Contractors Association to donate what they could.

He will also ask the Cebu provincial government since they have quarry sites in the countryside.

“This is the reason why we have to connect and not create a gap with the province because they have areas where quarrying is being conducted,” he said.

The SRP is owned by the Cebu city government.

The coastal site was chosen  the final venue over other options last June when SM offered to take care of site development, solving a big headache for  the church and city government organizers who estimated this could cost P100 million.

An agreement was reached for SM to field their private contractors, who are working on the nearby SM Seaside City, an P8.5 billion commercial complex.

The commitment to the Cebu Archdiocese includes “site clearing, compacting, making provisions for vertical and horizontal roads using pavers, and providing lighting for the venue.”

Fr. Gallego yesterday said SM already started opening road networks in the area to allow the immediate transport of construction and filling materials to the site.

Architect Vios said the immediate need now is  filling and construction materials to increase the elevation of the 29-hectare lot by at least half a meter to reach ground level.

This is  located behind the SRP welcome sign and across the proposed site of the Seaside City.

Construction materials like steel bars, sand and gravel, and cement are also needed to start the templete which will rise in a 700 sq.m. area.

Gallego said donors should only talk to designated church representatives to ensure their contributions end up in the right hands.

“Most of our construction materials used karon mga inutang (are based on debts),” said Gallego.

He said the finance committee is due to meet today to consider their request for an initial  release of P2 million to get things going. Gallego sits in the finance committee.

“Naay pundo but the finance committee wants to make sure everything is above board because that’s proper protocol. Proper accounting is also needed,” said Gallego.

Paul Hubahib, Mayor Rama’s representative in the Calungsod thanksgiving Mass organizing committee, said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Visayas is helping source filling materials.

He said DPWH engineer Daisy Toledo already committed to divert to the SRP any waste materials removed from the four-kilometer approach of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge where lanes are being ripped out prior to being rehabilitated to concrete pavement.

“The only problem is hauling it,” said Gallego

Still, the DPWH waste materials won’t be enough for the SRP lot.

Vios said the 29-hectare lot will have slopes on the sides to drain away rainwater to canals.  The vicinity of the templete will also be paved to prevent mud in case it rains on Nov. 30.

Permits are being secured from the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the Visayas Electric Company for the SRP site.

An airconditioned  container van will be placed on site as a field office for organizers to monitor work. A storage area will also be set up for  construction materials.

A request to declare the thanksgiving Mass area in SRP a heritage site is being studied by the Cebu City Council. /Edison A. delos Angeles, Correspondent