CICC as Mandaue City Hall gets support

THE idea of converting the controversial Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) into a modern City Hall for Mandaue City is getting support.

“I’m jealous that the building will be put to better use,” said Rep. Tomas Osmeña of the Cebu City south district.

Earlier, Osmeña, a critic of suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia who built the CICC, suggested that the facility that was built at a cost of over a billion pesos be converted into a funeral parlor.

Turning serious, the Cebu City lawmaker said converting the CICC into a government center that would house the local government of Mandaue City would be better than spending millions of taxpayers’ money for the maintenance of the facility.

In the Provincial Board (PB), Boardmember Arleigh Sitoy said in a privilege speech that selling the CICC to the Mandaue city government at a reasonable price would be a way of paying “utang na loob” (debt of gratitude) to the Mandawehanons.

“From 2006, Mandaue did not get anything out of their prime lot contribution. The CICC could not even be considered as catalyst since the developments around and near the facility did not sprout,” he said.

The Mandaue city government owns the land where the CICC has been built. It is a prime commercial lot of about two hectares in the Mandaue Reclamation Area. At current price, the lot could command hundreds of millions of pesos.

The CICC, Sitoy said served its purpose — the 2007 summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation.

“But the facility has become a losing proposition as a provincial government convention center. It does not have a competitive edge compared to hotels and restaurants like the Waterfront hotel and casino,” Sitoy added.

Other members of the PB agree with Sitoy. They are Miguel Magpale, Alex Binghay and Thadeo Ouano, a former mayor of Mandaue City.

Fresh discussions on the fate of the CICC came last December after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered criminal and administrator investigation on suspended Governor Garcia and six other Capitol officials over alleged irregularities in the extra work on the facility worth P263.2 million.

The Capitol originally spent P800 million to build the facility.

The provincial treasurer disclosed earlier this month that the CICC operation and maintenance has been subsidized by the Capitol. In 2012, Capitol spent P3 million for the CICC upkeep through the outsourced firm Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corp. (Petco).

Reacting to the Capitol disclosure, the treasurer’s office of Mandaue City ordered a probe on Petco after they only reported gross receipts of P1.25 million last year.

Regal Oliva, city treasurer of Mandaue said the Capitol subsidy should have been included in the financial statement of Petco.

If plans push through, Mayor Cortes wants to use the sprawling facility for a modern City Hall that would house all local government offices, including the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

The 75-year-old Presidencia building said Cortes could not accommodate all offices anymore.

Aside from the CICC, the Mandaue city government is setting its sight on other locations like the 14-hectare reclaimed property in barangay Labogon and even the 800 square meter old public market lot in barangay Centro./Jucell Marie P. Cuyos, Edison Delos Angeles and Carmel Loise Matus