Cebu megadome

[kobe]

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wa ko kakita anang megadome ninyo

[rusty18]

Gwen won’t give up megadome plan
By Jeanette P. Malinao
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
August 2004

GOV. Gwendolyn Garcia believes now is the time to build the much-opposed 16,000-seater megadome.

For the first time since she assumed office, Garcia said building the facility is already long overdue.

The governor, who kept mum on the issue until after she was sworn into office, told the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in a Capitol-hosted dinner Tuesday night that she hopes sports will finally unify Cebu, after being divided about the matter.

“I wish we could host you (PBA) in a much bigger, world-class facility next time. Too much politicking has put this project on hold, but there is hope in us,” Garcia told PBA commissioner Noli Eala and some visiting athletes.

“Sports tourism means a lot to Cebu’s economy,” the governor added.

Eala, in response, promised to open a whole PBA season in Cebu if the megadome is completed, as well as three to four games held here every month.

The PBA All-Star entourage is in town for the PBA All-Star Week, which includes barhopping, a basketball clinic, coastal clean-up drive and an anti-drug campaign.

Patrick Gregorio, chairman of the Cebu Visitors’ Convention Bureau, also expressed support for the megadome.

Gregorio said it is not just sports that will benefit from the megadome but also the tourism sector.

Opposition was raised against the proposed P250-million project, a debate over which spanned one elective term at the Cebu Provincial Board. The issue was even used against Garcia during the elections.

The group of former congressman Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. sees the project as “a waste of government funds.”

The proposal was for a joint venture agreement between Cebu Province and the Mandaue City Government, which will donate the lot where the megadome will rise.

The annual budget containing the megadome was also questioned before the court.

Those who support the megadome, however, see the facility as an answer to Cebu’s need for a venue for international activities and a landmark that will reinforce the Cebuanos’ sense of pride

[rusty18]

i hope this article helps. cebu megadome is as big as the araneta coliseum pero with modern look syempre. could be the biggest modern structure in the country. B-)

the gov dapat lang di mu give up on this project since they've spent millions already for the design alone! bwehehehe

[kobe]

dako-ag budget ana sa?

[knup24]

dugay2 naman ni nga balita oi, asa naman ni kay nindot ta ni kay mkakita ta maybe NBA sa debu kay naa na tay MEGADOME....lolz

[koto]

CEBU APPROVES P250M MEGADOME PROJECT

Cebu City, March 2, 2003 -- Four times, those against a planned construction of a megadome tried to derail approval of a P600-million supplemental budget containing a P250-million appropriation for the project and four times they were out-voted.

In the end, the provincial board, by a vote of 8-5, and after more than two hours of intense wrangling, approved the proposed P599,601,832.47 supplemental budget, and with it the money for the megadome, in a special session called by Gov. Pablo Garcia specifically for the purpose last Thursday.

Those who voted to approve the supplemental budget without revisions were board members Julian Daan, Antonio Almirante, Josefina Asirit, Rosemarie Durano, Victor Maambong, Manuel Masangkay, Ramon Martin Calderon and Teresita Celis.

Those who sought disapproval were Orvi Ortega, Gregorio Sanchez, Joven Mondigo, Jose Marie Gastardo and Michael Miranda, ironically all allied with Garcia in the Lakas party.

Two members, Estrella Yapha and Raul Bacaltos, were absent. Both were expected to have also voted against the supplemental budget but even if they had, opponents of the project would still have been a vote short of at least forging a tie.

Had a tie ensued, the megadome would still have scraped through as Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeña, the board’s presiding officer, would have broken the tie in favor of the project, being one of its staunch proponents.

Mondigo, who did not like appropriating a huge sum of money for a project that did not undergo a feasibility study, was joined by Ortega in moving to defer approval of the megadome outlay and referring the project instead to the provincial engineering office first for study.

Mondigo said provincial engineers should enlighten the board first as to how the megadome budget was arrived at.

He also said he fears the megadome’s projected annual income of P18 million to P20 million was unattainable, especially if Lapu-Lapu City pushes ahead with its own planned megadome.

The megadome pushed by Garcia is proposed to be built on a 4.3-hectare lot to be donated by the Mandaue City government, which wants to operate the facility jointly with the provincial capitol or have its management turned over to a private entity.

But Maambong answered Mondigo that it is no longer the work of legislators to ask for a feasibility study because that is a function of the governor as chief executive of the province.

"Ours is not to correct the direction of the ship. The initiative came from the governor and we cannot change that. We can only say yes or no," Maambong said.

Still Ortega argued it would be difficult for the board to allocate P250 million and change its mind later because under the law money allocated for a specific purpose cannot be spent for another.

To put the issue to rest, Osmeña called for a vote on whether or not to defer approval of the megadome allocation until the provincial engineering office comes up with a study on the project.

The move for deferment and further study lost, 7-5, even with Maambong, who was for approval, abstaining.

Despite the outcome, Ortega persisted, moving for a new vote on the supplemental budget but this time not just deferring approval of the megadome allocation but deleting it altogether from the supplemental budget.

This time Maambong voted and Ortega’s motion was rejected by an 8-5 vote.

Trying another tack, Ortega shifted to other items in the supplemental budget to assail and question, such as an P86-million allocation for the governor’s office for use as financial assistance to barangays.

He moved that P45 million for barangay projects and basic services be trimmed down to P15 million, while P26 million for development assistance be slashed to P10 million. His motion was again shot down, 8-5.

And it was still 8-5 when the main motion to approve the entire supplemental budget was called and put to a vote.

Of the entire budget, the provincial engineering office got the lion’s share of P400,508,290.15. Tucked in that amount was the P250 million for the megadome.

A total of P130 million was earmarked for the improvement of roads and bridges and P20 million for additional electrification and waterworks projects.

Also in the supplemental budget was P64,093,397.33 for all 18 district hospitals in the province and P4,260,000 for the loyalty bonuses of qualified provincial capitol employees who have served for at least five years. (Freeman News Service, reprinted from the Philippine Star)

[doctor_wat_son]

anha kuno dapit sa coliseum sa mandaue....naa man sad dinha dako dako lugar!

ang design naa pa siguro to ni gov.

kabasa bitaw ko ani sa cebudailynews dugay na pero lain may gitukod diha dapit sa mandaue coliseum. naa koy nakit-an hapit na mahuman nga "Harbour Jade Hotel". Lain man nga sports naa diri. hihihi... naa tapad sa 6R Mercantile. hihihi... Basin naa unya olympics i-held diri.

peace!

[clarkhkent]

*bump* namingaw naman ning balitaa.....excited kaau ko ani sa una....karon sukad paglingkod ni gwen mura man hinoon nakalimtan!

cebu needs this megadome jud!

[forum_angel]

in fairness... nindot jud kung naay megadome....bisan progressing city ang cebu wala man nuoy dome...

nice man na cya for concerts or other shows na pwd ma held diri a cebu,..besides sa mga school gyms, cebu coliseum and hotels..

[edwin_sn]

with 250M budget for this project, they will NEVER be able to finish this project. nindot ni nga project for Cebu no doubt, but these government officials are joking if they will insist they can finish it with that budget. basi maparehas lang ni sa Uniwide diha sa recla nga wala mahuman, magtupad raba ni sila.