Private firm to continue managing CICC for now

Management of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) will still be run by a private firm pending a joint decision from the Capitol and Mandaue City Hall.
This was agreed during yesterday afternoon’s CICC board meeting.
The one year contract entered into by the province with the Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corporation (Petco) expired last June 30.
Petco president Jose Yulo said his company will abide by the contract’s terms which require them to continue running the facility until another private firm or the province itself takes over its management.
“We are here not necessarily to stay put but to be of service to Cebu. We will respect any decision by the board. If you will request us to continue, then we will comply,” he said.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale who presided over the meeting said the board will first study the situation and announce its decision in their next meeting two weeks from now.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III came in the middle of the meeting, sat for a few minutes but left due to another appointment.
Joining them in the meeting were lawyer Carlo Fortuna who subbed in for Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Petco officer Marissa Nallana and CICC technical working group members Donnie Roa and Dara Alquizar.
A financial statement presented during the meeting showed that Capitol still owed Petco P800,000 for its operations from April to June this year and on October 2012.
The Capitol pays P200,000 every month to the company for managing the CICC.
Magpale said the province is proceeding carefully with the Capitol’s payables.
With the huge expenses incurred from manpower and logistics needed in every event in CICC, Yulo said Petco is “operationally funding the CICC.”
He said the monthly compensation they get from the province is barely enough.
During the administration of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Yulo said there were periods when they did not receive compensation from five to six months.
For six years, Ypil said the province earned P146.3 million from CICC’s operations.
About P127.5 million came from the use of the whole facility while the rest were earned from room rentals and miscellaneous fees. Its water expenses, meanwhile, fell last June to P22,000 from its usual billing of over P200,000 each month in the past years.
Magpale attributed the decline to the infrequent use of the facility and the repairs done in damaged and leaking water pipes.
The CICC was built in 2007 for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos