October 25, 2022
CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama is not happy with the performance of M.E. Sicat Construction, which is working on the third and fourth floors of the new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) building along Natalio Bacalso Avenue.
Rama, who conducted his weekly inspection of the facility on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, said he is not optimistic about the progress of the ongoing construction, which started in 2015 yet.
“I am more of not expecting so much for CCMC but good enough that I made my promise to drop by. That is something that I promised of visiting CCMC (every week),” he said.
The mayor, who is celebrating his 68th birthday on Friday, October 28.
He said they had an agreement with the contractor last April to finish the shell of the eight up to the 10th floor after it won the P900-million contract.
At the end of July, however, Rama ordered M.E. Sicat Construction to concentrate on finishing the fourth and fifth floors so these could be used for daily operations by October 28.
But Rama refused to comment about his observation of the progress of the construction of the interior of the two floors which the contractor had promised.
“We will just wait. Wala pa man moabot ang akong birthday… Atong tanawon (Let’s see). Dili lang ko mo (I don’t want to) pre-empt. I do not want to make a statement now. I will make a statement after the assessment, after my birthday,” he said.
Before Rama and the contractor reached an agreement at the end of July, he said he was dismayed when he visited the facility.
“What is the purpose of having a contract and then it is not being completed? Because I can wait anyway. My term is three years and I’m serious because di ko gusto og (I don’t like) lies,” he had said.
The mayor “envisions CCMC to be a specialty hospital and called the facility a ‘poor man’s hospital with rich man’s services, love, care, compassion assured.’”
Rama had the old CCMC demolished in February 2014 after it was declared unsafe for occupancy after the earthquake in October 2013. (PAC, PJB)