Seafarers bldg is 'money well spent'

CEBU, Philippines - So the public may know and compare.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña will be holding a luncheon next week at the P160-million building of the Japan Seafarers Union-Philippine Seafarers Union to compare it with the P900-million Cebu International Convention Center of the Cebu Province.

The said building is implemented by PSU president Democrito Mendoza.

Invited in the luncheon are all members of the Cebu tri-media as well as representatives from the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman.

“This is just a public presentation ba, on spending one’s money wisely. Mendoza’s building costs only P160 million; mas nindot, mas dako, wala pa’y scrap material nga gigamit,” Osmeña said.

He also said that the building is seven-storey high and that its convention area is very wide and presentable.

“Even the governor can come and her other provincial staff,” Osmeña said.

The building was funded by the Japanese and was constructed without bidding contrary to the CICC which, accordingly, underwent under public scrutiny.

Osmeña earlier made public some documents which showed that over P200 million was spent by the Province in purchasing scrap steel which were used to build the structure that served as the venue of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit last January 2007.

According to the documents obtained, the steel sheets in CICC were the same ones used by Japanese contractors who conducted a government project here and later donated these to the Department of Public Works and Highways which, in turn, sold the items to the private contractor that won the CICC project.

 Osmeña said that the governor and the private contractor should present proof, such as receipts of the purchase, to show that these were directly bought from suppliers and not at junkyards and other questionable sources.

The mayor also said that Garcia should not be afraid to tell the public if the CICC is made of scrap steel because, if so, the provincial government cannot be compelled to pay P263 million more to WT Construction for the additional works in the said structure.

If the province will pay the P263 million additional cost, the CICC will already cost more than P800 million. Osmeña said it “is not worth it.” – Ferliza C. Contratista/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)