No duplicating financing for CCMC lift projects
Cebu City's Elevator Woes:
Recent buzz in the city has centered around the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and concerns involving double funding for an elevator. Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia addressed these concerns during a council meeting, clarifying that there was no duplicated funding for the elevator project, despite the involvement of multiple construction contracts.
On April 23, during a regular council session, the installation of an elevator at the public hospital was under discussion. It was revealed that the installation was financed by the "Piso Mo, Hospital Ko" fundraising campaign, which ran from October 2013 to November 2014. This led to questions about the necessity of elevators being included in contracts with both M.E. Sicat Construction and C.E. Padilla Construction Inc.
The "Piso Mo, Hospital Ko" campaign garnered P16 million through donation boxes placed in city halls, markets, schools, and commercial establishments.
Moving on, Mayor Garcia clarified that the contract with C.E. Padilla Construction Inc. only covered the elevator structure—specifically, the carrier. To clarify, the funds from the campaign only went toward purchasing that carrier, with no provision for the elevator shaft or any mechanical work required for its installation. Hence, there was no double funding.
C.E. Padilla was responsible for the construction of CCMC's Phases 1 and 2, totaling P399,976,345. Phase 3, worth P99.72 million, was granted to C.B. Garay Philwide Builders. Meanwhile, the M.E. Sicat Construction joint venture was awarded Phase 4, worth P907.99 million. Nevertheless, the contract with M.E. Sicat was terminated on Nov 9, 2022, due to escalating negative slippage in construction works, as directed by the former mayor, Michael Rama.
The M.E. Sicat contract was intended to cover elevator structures for the hospital's upper floors, but it was terminated. Currently, only one functioning elevator serves CCMC, granting access to Operation Smile on the hospital's seventh floor.
The Cebu City Council requested DEPW to submit relevant documents about CCMC's progress by May 13, citing the exorbitant costs of finished civil works—approximately P2 billion—due partly to contract rebidding. The CCMC project's third to sixth floors, worth P700 million, are yet to be awarded to a contractor. Mayor Garcia mentioned earlier that they are in the post-qualification stage of the bidding process for this Phase 5 of CCMC's construction.
The CCMC construction commenced on July 4, 2015, following the hospital's damage from the earthquake in October 2013.
So, there ya have it! The concerns coming from the council don't appear to be grounded in reality. The funds were used as planned, and only the base structure of the elevator carriers was purchased to save some coin. The ongoing investigations are more about ensuring transparency and accountability in the project's progress, given doubts raised by council members regarding the delays and procurement irregularities in the CCMC project.
- Despite the involvement of multiple construction contracts, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia clarified that there was no duplicated funding for the elevator project at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
- The "Piso Mo, Hospital Ko" fundraising campaign, which ran from October 2013 to November 2014, was responsible for financing the installation of an elevator at the CCMC.
- The Cebu City Council is currently requesting relevant documents about the CCMC's progress, citing the high costs of finished civil works and the delays in the project.
- In politics, doubts and concerns regarding procurement irregularities in the CCMC project have been raised by council members, sparking ongoing investigations for transparency and accountability.
- As a result of the termination of the M.E. Sicat Construction contract, only one functioning elevator serves the CCMC, granting access to Operation Smile on the hospital's seventh floor.
- The health and wellness sector, specifically the CCMC, is under scrutiny in the general news and funding discussions, with concerns over the exorbitant costs of the CCMC project and the implementation of elevators in the facility.
