12 years on, Cebu City still seeks answers over CCMC delays

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Twelve years after the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) reconstruction began, city councilors on Tuesday ordered another investigation into the long-delayed project.

Budget Committee Chairman Dave Tumulak disclosed that the current construction phase is less than 30 percent complete, leading to a new push for independent professional oversight to finally complete the hospital.

Tumulak raised the issue in a privilege speech during the City Council’s regular session on Tuesday, urging Mayor Nestor Archival to hire an independent project management consultant (PMC) to oversee the remaining works, monitor contractors, and help prevent further delays that have plagued the project since the 2013 Bohol earthquake.

READ: CCMC ‘most corrupt,’ Tomas says; Council seeks project audit

“Every day that the CCMC remains unfinished is another day that thousands of our constituents are deprived of the quality public healthcare they deserve,” Tumulak told the council.

He stressed that the proposal sought practical solutions rather than assigning blame.

READ: CCMC Phase 5 resumes, targets 2027 opening

“Considering the complexity of the remaining works at CCMC, the engagement of a Project Management Consultant is no longer simply an option—it has become a necessity,” he said.

Less than 30% accomplishment

The discussion turned to the project’s current status after Councilor Harry Eran asked Tumulak to explain his earlier statement on construction progress.

READ: CCMC still unfinished after nearly a decade, P2B expenditure

“As chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, I always monitor all projects,” Tumulak said.

“Based on my knowledge, when the new contractor took over the completion of CCMC, its accomplishment remained less than 30 percent. That’s sad to note.”

READ: Rama wants to finish CCMC reconstruction without a ‘single centavo’ spent from City Hall coffers

Eran then asked whether Tumulak referred to the civil works funded by last year’s supplemental appropriation of about P500 million or earlier project allocations.

Tumulak replied that the project illustrated the bureaucracy surrounding government infrastructure and reiterated the need for an independent monitoring team to oversee construction scheduling, quality assurance, and implementation.

Council seeks answers

Councilor Joel Garganera questioned why the 10-story hospital remained unfinished more than a decade after reconstruction started.

“What is the root cause of all this? What’s causing the delay?” Garganera asked.

Tumulak responded that the implementing department should answer those questions before the council.

“Every peso spent on CCMC represents the hard-earned taxes of Cebuanos,” he said.

He added that patients continue to suffer because of the prolonged delays.

“Luoy mga masakiton, tagsa ra makasulod sa CCMC kay ang problema dili matiwas, atong gusto mahuman na ni.” (It’s the sick patients who suffer every day because the project remains unfinished. We want this completed.)

Tumulak expressed hope that the hospital would finally open in 2027, saying the city has sufficient funding for this year and, potentially, next year.

Heated exchange

Councilor Sisinio Andales questioned whether hiring another consultant would solve the project’s longstanding problems and challenged Tumulak’s remark that bureaucracy had contributed to the delays.

“I don’t agree with your statement that we should accept bureaucracy in government,” Andales said.

He added that if officials knew of bureaucratic wrongdoing, they should file appropriate cases instead of making sweeping accusations.

Tumulak clarified that he merely wanted the executive department to consider an independent project management consultant who could objectively assess implementation and identify problems delaying construction.

The discussion briefly turned heated after Tumulak referred to Andales as “Mr. Clean,” a remark later stricken from the record after Tumulak apologized.

Project management

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the Council’s presiding officer, also criticized the project’s management, saying the city should first determine why CCMC continues to encounter delays before hiring another consultant.

“We have a very long history with CCMC,” Osmeña said.

He claimed the project still lacks a complete program of works despite passing through several contractors over the years.

“If you want to hire an expert consultant, you’re asking for magic. First of all, how can you work on anything if there’s no program of work?” he said.

Osmeña also questioned the role of the city administration in overseeing the project and urged the council to invite the city administrator and Mayor Archival to explain its current status.

Probe ordered

Following the discussion, Councilor Philip Zafra moved to refer the matter to the committees on Infrastructure and Health for investigation.

The committees will invite representatives from the Office of the Mayor, the City Engineer’s Office, CCMC management, and other concerned offices to explain the project’s status, remaining work, and implementation timetable.

Councilor Alvin Arcilla also proposed inviting Dakay Construction and Development Corporation, the project’s current contractor, while Councilor Mikel Rama sought to involve the Committee on Laws in reviewing the project’s contracts.

Project resumed last week

Earlier this year, Archival formally launched Phase 5 of the CCMC reconstruction following nearly a year of suspension prompted by incomplete plans and missing technical documents.

The city awarded the current P700-million contract to Dakay Construction after an independent technical audit ordered in 2025 recommended completing the hospital through a phased approach.

City targets Phase 5 for completion by December 2026, with full hospital operations expected by February 2027.

The reconstruction began after the 2013 Bohol earthquake rendered the old hospital building unsafe. Originally scheduled for completion in 2015, the project has suffered repeated delays because of contract disputes, procurement issues, changing project scopes, and missing engineering documents.

Once completed, the expanded hospital will increase its capacity from about 150 beds to as many as 500, helping reduce patient congestion and referrals to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

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