‘CICC operating at a loss’

The Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) incurred P41.8 million in losses since it was opened in 2008, the office of acting Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale told reporters yesterday.

Magpale’s spokesperson, Dara Acusar, said the amount includes the maintenance and operations costs like its P10.18 million power bill incurred from 2009 to last year’.

“We were giving the use of CICC for free. It should have generated a little income for our constituents but unfortunately, it operates at a loss to the province. And it’s the province that is paying for the losses,” she told reporters yesterday.

In contrast, Acusar said the Capitol has a P8.87 million power bill for last year.

The CICC’s power bill was charged to the Capitol’s general fund instead of the trust fund maintained by the Capitol with the Mandaue City government.

Aside from electricity, Acusar said the Capitol is also footing the water and other utility bills of the convention center.

She said the Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corp. (Petco) that manages the CICC is being paid P3 million even if its contract wasn’t approved by the Provincial Board (PB).

Petco also managed the Cebu Cultural Center (CCC).

“Basically if the PB finds they need to change the contract, we will do that. Or we will proceed, we still have to look into that,” she said.

Acusar said they were advised by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit a proposal on the repairs.

“Based on that proposal, DPWH will hopefully undertake the funding… But then again, this is a proposal,” she said.

The DPWH has yet to schedule an ocular inspection on the extent of repairs at the CICC.

Acusar said they want to expedite the repairs because they wanted to submit a bid to host the Asia Pacific Economic (APEC) Summit scheduled next year.

The CICC was used as the venue for the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

While the center was finished in time for the event, questions arose over the alleged overpricing of materials used to build the structure. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus