Cortes: Interest in CICC on, but we have other options

MANDAUE CITY Mayor Jonas Cortes was glad with the trust showed by the Provincial Board (PB) members who crafted a resolution supporting Mandaue City’s interest in buying the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and convert it into a city hall.

Cortes however clarified said that the CICC is just one of the three options that the city government is considering as a one-stop local government center which they intend to start developing after the May 13 election – should he win a third term as mayor.

But he added, “Kung barato atong lingkuran. Naa baya na depreciation cost ang building…Dili mi ingon nga gadali mi nga e acquire na ang CICC, we have to wait, pero kung dili jud naa man mi lain option. In fact nana mi plano sa bag-o nga government center nga dili dinha (referring to CICC),” he said.”

(If the price is affordable, we could sit down. We also need to account the depreciation cost of the building… We are not in a hurry to acquire the CICC, we have to wait, but it really cannot be done, we already have other plans.)

The other options that the Mandaue city government is considering are the 14-hectare reclaimed lot in barangay Labogon and the old public market in barangay Centro.

In the old public market building, Cortes said that they are planning to put up a one-stop-shop of Mandaue City products and later on transfer City Hall offices there.

Cortes wants City Hall offices under one roof to provide convenience to people transacting with the local government unit (LGU).

The 75 years old Presidencia Building which is currently the seat of the LGU can no longer host all City Hall department.

Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale had said that the CICC is up for rehabilitation as Cebu has been considered to host the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

She also clarified that the CICC is not for sale. The lot where the CICC stands is owned by Mandaue City, and the management of the facility is a joint venture between the city and the Capitol. The facility is at the center of an Ombudsman investigation.

Last December Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered criminal and administrative investigation on suspended Gov. Gwendolyn 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 that served as the main venue of the 12th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2007.