Is new Capitol building a priority?

There have been debates over the proposed construction of a 20-story building inside the Capitol compound and which will be occupied by some offices of the Cebu Provincial Government. Some experts and those concerned with heritage suggest that the building should be constructed outside of the Capitol grounds to decongest the area. Escario St. is one of the busiest streets in the city.

Some architects said the building should not be 20 stories as its height would affect the view of the Capitol building, which has been declared a historical and heritage landmark. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) said the construction is illegal because it violates Section 48(b) Article 13 of Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

The law states that, “Anyone who modifies, alters, or destroys the original features of or undertakes construction or real estate development in any national shrine, monument, landmark and other historical edifices and structure declared, classified, and marked by the National Historical Institute as such, without the prior written permission from the Commission, can be held liable for violating the law.”

The NHCP has written the provincial government about the matter but Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino said he has not received and read the letter. Wala gyud kaha makadawat ug makabasa si Tolentino? O nagpagoryo-goryo lang siya?

Gov. Hilario Davide III has dismissed all the suggestions and unsolicited proposals. In his press conference, he said he is determined to construct the building as it is necessary to decongest the main building and adjacent structures by transferring some of the departments and offices to the new building. Capitol will address the traffic situation in the place once the construction starts.

Davide said they would stick to the original design. The provincial government has applied for a P1.5 billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to finance its construction. The governor assured the Cebuanos that there would be no additional burden to the province’s taxpayers as the loan’s amortization will be taken from the annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) the Capitol receives from the national government.

But one can just ask, is this a priority project? Do we need to immediately construct this edifice amidst the other problems confronting the Capitol, like those concerning health services, the delivery of basic services, livelihood programs, construction of farm-to-market roads and many more?

Why is Davide so obsessed with this multi-billion-peso project? Because of the elections next year? Well, your guess is as good as mine. If he is really determined to implement it, why won’t he undertake it through public-private partnership (PPP) like in the new Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport and the third bridge that will connect the Cebu mainland to Cordova?

If I were a contractor, I would not participate in the bidding for this project. Why? Because we don’t know if there will be a new administration in the Capitol after next year’s elections. Basin mapurnada unya ning proyektoha. Ingna ko’g bakakon.