Construction works at CCMC halted yet again

Local

WORK on the long-delayed Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is once again on pause, this time under the order of Mayor Nestor Archival Sr., who said the project cannot move forward without a "complete and detailed" construction plan.

Archival, on Monday, July 28, directed contractor Dakay Construction and Development Corporation to submit the necessary planning documents, following a report from the city’s engineering office that flagged the absence of vital technical requirements.

“Na-award na nila before ko ni-assume ug office, and ang NTP [Notice to Proceed] nahatag na. Nanangyo na gani sila ug downpayment,” the mayor said. “Pero ang engineering, ni-comment nga naay mga pinaka-dako nga kulang kay walay kompleto nga plano.”

The Phase 5 contract, pegged at P700 million, was awarded to Dakay Construction and Development Corporation under the previous administration of former mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

It covers the completion of the third floor and the construction of the hospital’s fourth and fifth floors, with a target timeline of 240 calendar days.

While the Program of Works and Estimates (POWE) was submitted, Archival said the accompanying planning documents that would support the implementation were not attached.

“Ang POWE naa, pero ang planning nga gibasehan, wala [ma-attach,]” he said.

He added that allowing construction to proceed without these documents would be irresponsible.

“Unsaon nila pagtrabaho kung walay klaro nga plano?” Archival asked. “Of course, unsaon pagsugod kung dili kompleto ang plano.”

The mayor said the current pause is not a delay for delay’s sake, but a safeguard to ensure transparency and full understanding of the project’s scope, especially given the cost and the public’s long wait.

He earlier raised concerns that the P700 million might not be enough to complete the building and that residents deserve to know exactly what this phase of construction will deliver.

“Ang akong tan-awon karon is unsay sulod sa kontrata. Kay basin inig abot sa panahon, ang P700 million nga delivery dili pa gihapon makakompleto. That will be another problem,” Archival warned.

He reiterated that the public has a right to know where the money is going and what outcome they can expect.

“Dapat makasabot ang katawhan. If this won’t complete the hospital, pila pa man ang kuwang? That’s what we need to know now,” he said.

The CCMC reconstruction project has been marred by years of delays since the old facility was damaged during the 2013 earthquake. What was supposed to be completed by 2015 remains unfinished in 2025, a decade later, with only the first few floors partially operational.

Archival, who ran on a platform that emphasized finishing the CCMC, said delivering the hospital remains a top priority in his administration.

“This is something I promised during the campaign — to finish the CCMC,” he said. “That’s why it’s important to first understand what’s included in this P700 million.”

Until a full set of plans is submitted and verified, construction work under Phase 5 will remain suspended.

“Ang importante gyud, let’s be clear with the public: What is being done, how much does it cost, and will it get the job done?” Archival said.(TGP)