Design payment supposed to be from donations

The P33.3 million in professional fees demanded by the Espina, Perez-Espina and Associates architectural and engineering firm for the Cebu City Medical Center design was supposedly sourced from foreign pledges that former mayor Michael Rama supposedly gathered.

This was according to a press release by the firm, as it lamented against the “blight” that afflict every change of administration in our country.

“People might think that we were so naive as to hitch our fortunes to a politician, or that we were chagrinned by the ‘defeat’ of Mayor Michael Rama. We would like to let everyone know, and I am certain that I am articulating the concern of many others, that what bothers us most is the internecine and unending politicking among our politicians,” said Omar Maxwell Espina, principal architect of the firm.

To recall, Rama ordered the demolition of the old CCMC building after a 7.2-magnitude quake damaged the hospital in 2013

Espina said the firm submitted several studies and proposals to the city government as “quickly and eagerly” as possible. He said the firm also helped the city in obtaining permit to construct from the Department of Health.

He said the firm has existed for the past 70 years and that it would last for at least 70 more, adding that they are hoping for “a better next administration.”

“It is a hospital that Cebu, given its stature, truly needs and deserves. I tell my friends that this facility, if built as planned together with its dedicated personnel, will be among the best in the country; a sterling achievement of the city administration. Frankly, I have doubts the incumbent administration can realize it, considering the mayor’s past pronouncements,” read the statement.

He was referring to Mayor Tomas Osmeña declaring that the city would not pay the firm the P33.3 million it is asking for the design that is now being followed in the rebuilding of the 10-story hospital.

“We are fully aware of the requirements of the Republic Act 9184 (The Government Procurement Reform Act), which by the way contains provisions for alternative procurement as in the case of emergencies,” read the press statement.

“So it is not as if we stumbled into this situation blindly. The (then) mayor (Michael) Rama’s solution was to appropriate the funds for our fees from pledges from private entities that he had gathered,” it added.

In the same statement, Espina said it was Rama who asked the assistance of the firm to proceed with and finish the “worldclass” design of the 10-story building.

Espina said he was compelled to issue the statement following reports that the city government will not settle the professional fees they are asking.

He said the firm has acted with its best intention and in the highest ethical standards of the profession.

During that time they formulated the design, he said, the firm thought that Rama was doing his best to alleviate the situation at the hospital, which was why the firm rendered free service to come up with the design.

Espina said the regular services of the architect were composed of four phases: the schematic design phase, design development phase, contract document phase, and the construction supervision phase.

Under their billing statement, the Espinas were to give P8.5 million in pro bono services for the schematic design, which they said was one of the phases where the architect’s brains and creativity are most engaged in, and the design development phase for P8.5 million.

The contract documents (P21.2 million) phase and the construction phase (P4.2 million) were also stated in the billing statement. Knowing that the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works office does not have enough staff to perform the contract documents phase, Espina said Rama requested the firm to help out and finish all phases.

The Cebu City Legal Office, though, has issued an opinion that the city has no legal basis to pay the P33.3 million since there was no notice of award signed by the city mayor in favor of the firm, and a Bids and Awards Committee resolution recommending to the mayor the award of the contract to the firm.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, and Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos have agreed with the opinion rendered by the City Legal Office, saying that provisions of RA 9184 should be observed. —