Cebu Vice Governor Greg Sanchez could not give a straight answer when asked on whether or not the controversial Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) will be finished by Nov. 15, as what Architect Manuel Guanzon has been claiming.

Sanchez instead offered a litany of technical construction terms that a layman like me could not fathom. He said the word complete connotes several meaning, adding that it differs from various points of view.

Reading between Vice Guv's lines, I could say that the CICC will be far from finish on Nov. 15. I offered the term "usable" to Vice Guv instead of "finish" and he agreed that the term usable is the right word. Vice Guv said the CICC will be 100 percent usable by Nov. 15.

Anyway, whether it will be finished or not, the CICC will be used for international conventions and gatherings other than the scheduled 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this December. It will not transform into a white elephant, said Vice Guv.
And the CICC's project budget has now ballooned to P650 million from the original P450 million.

Vice Guv, who was guest at the 888 News Forum held the new Parklane Hotel, said the rising cost of steel and several other unforseen expenses have contributed to the increase of the project cost. And this has caught the attention of veteran broadcaster Choy Torralba who questioned the legality of the sudden increase of the project cost.

Vice Guv, however, said the project is very transparent and is free from the usual evils that lurk behind government projects. Choy answered back with a naughty smile.