CEBU CITY, March 16 (PNA) — The construction of the Eucharistic Pavilion, the main venue of the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu, is now 50.8 percent complete, organizers said.
Engr. Adonis Gabutin, construction manager of Duros Development Corp. (DDC), said the Eucharistic Pavilion, which is being built within a seminary compound in Mabolo, Cebu City, is expected to be finished in September this year.
Gabutin said there were challenges in the construction such as changes in the weather, but the work remains ahead of schedule.
The Eucharistic Pavilion, estimated to cost P550 million, will serve as the plenary hall for the 51st IEC and has an attached building for the secretariat and auxiliary facilities.
The pavilion is divided into the Plenary Hall and the Secretariat Building.
The Plenary Hall has three levels, with a parking lot on the bottom level, a main hall on the second level, and a gallery on the third.
The total floor area of the Plenary Hall is 18,546.42 square meters.
The Secretariat Building is composed of two levels and contains the Secretariat office, mess hall for the dignitaries, the chapel and several halls for exhibits.
Msgr. Dennis Villarojo, 51st IEC secretary-general, said that after the Congress, the Pavilion will be converted into two structures.
The Plenary Hall will become a pastoral center, while the Secretariat Building will become the new Minor Seminary for the Archdiocese of Cebu.
Aside from being used as a pastoral center for religious gatherings and other events, the Pavilion will also serve as offices of the Jerome Bible Center and Dilaab Foundation.
The pavilion will also serve as an evacuation center in times of emergencies. (PNA)