ILOILO CITY, Sept. 10 (PNA) — Construction of the Iloilo Convention Center is definitely within standards and not overpriced. This was the reaction of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director Edilberto Tayao after Kabataan partylist Representative Terry Ridon filed a resolution calling for a probe on the P700-million Convention Center in Iloilo City.
Ridon filed House Resolution No. 1466 urging the House committee on public works and highways to investigate in aid of legislation possible cases of corruption and overpricing of at least 20 government infrastructure projects including the Iloilo Convention Center built by Hilmarc Construction Corp. over the decade.
Tayao justified the construction of the state-of- the-art convention center which will boost the city’s hosting of Ministerial Meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in September and October, 2015.
The APEC national organizers slated two Ministerial Meetings in Iloilo City on September 21-25, 2015 for the SME Ministerial Meetings and October 4-6, 2015 for the Food Security and the Blue Economy.
Tayao said the center covers an area of 1.7 hectare donated by Megaworld Corp. within its 54-hectare old Iloilo airport property. The total floor area is 11,349 square meters and not 6,400 square meters as reported by Ridon.
The ground floor is 6,080 square meters, 3,381 square meters second floor, 668 square meters mezzanine and 1,563 square meters roof deck. Total capacity is 3,700 guests with the main convention hall at the ground floor for more than 3,000 guests.
The second floor will have seven function rooms for 560 guests at 80 persons per room, VIP room, museum and souvenir shop.
The DPWH official said the P500 million appropriation for Phase I came from the DPWH 2012 GAA amounting P100 million, 2013 DPWH GAA of P200 million and another P200 million from the DOT-TIEZA 2013 budget.
Another P200 million from DPWH 2014 GAA for Phase II is intended for building finishes, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and fire protection features with a target completion date on March 2015.
Other related items of work not covered by the funding allocation shall be included under the Operation and Management by Megaworld Corp.
Tayao deplored the report of Ridon by saying that the solon may have been using erroneous data in making false allegations against the Iloilo Convention Center. He pointed out that the contractor of the new city hall is not Hilmarc but FFCruz Frayzinet.(PNA)