Capitol seeks firm to manage center

The Capitol is looking for a firm to run the Cebu Performing Arts Center, which is now called the Cebu Cultural Center (CCC).

The newly refurbished center on Gorordo Avenue is scheduled to have its  grand opening in November.

The Capitol is outsourcing the  management of the  center to the private sector based on public bidding.

Elizabeth Francia, Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia’s chief of staff, said yesterday that although  the governor first asked Philippine Exhibits and Theme Parks Corp. (PETCO ) to manage the center, but the Capitol was still to bid  it out.

A soft opening last August 12, attended by former First Lady Imelda Marcos, was  held to unveil  a sculpture by a Russian artist.

Francia said the center would be completely operational after its grand opening in November 25.

She said  the opening would  feature presentations of  the “seven art forms” such as dance, music and the visual arts.

Provincial Engineer Eulogio Pelayre told CDN that work was completed last month and that  no part was  hurriedly done even for its soft opening last August 12.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was  led by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia last month with  Ilocos Norte officials led by Gov. Imee Marcos and Rep. Imelda Marcos.

Also present was Fred Pascual of the University of the Philippines Cebu College  and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

The completion of the theater, located in the  UP Campus,  was a promise made by Governor Garcia during the centennial celebration of UP after years of  the project’s idle status as a white elephant.

The project started in 1993 during the term of Gov. Vicente de la Serna, who planned to build a students dormitory and a cultural center n the UP lot, but these were not continued by the next administration.   The project went  through several contractors and stop-and-start work.

The Capitol bidded out the work to complete the Sugbo Performing Arts Center for P13 million. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus