Rama: CCMC to be finished with private sector funds

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the Cebu City Medical Center will have to be completed by November of this year without a single centavo shelled out from the coffers of the city government.

This as the city government has resorted to a public-private partnership scheme to finish the structure.

The shell of the 10-floor building itself, Rama said, should be completed already by June.

With no more funding from the city government anymore, Rama said it would also mean savings for the LGU.

“CCMC completion, we would wish and pursue the Operation Smile and the CCMC with no single centavo should come from the coffers of City Hall, we will finish it within this year,” said Rama.

Operation Smile will be on the sixth floor with funding coming from the private sector. It is expected to be operational by December already.

Earlier, about P1 billion in total pledges was received from different companies mostly based in Manila that have committed to support the completion of the CCMC, although Rama said he is not yet stopping with his "investment begging" for CCMC.

Aside from the new CCMC building, Rama is also looking at constructing a medical arts building under the former CCMC building just across where the new building is located.

Along with this, the Land Transportation-VII and the Bureau of Fire Prevention should already vacate the city property, said the mayor.

CCMC medical director Dr. Anton Reposar said they have already moved all services from the old structure into the new building.

The new building had been constructed after the 45-year-old former CCMC building was demolished in 2014 following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake back in 2013.  (FREEMAN)