While public focus has been on the ongoing refurbishment of the Governor’s Office, the Cebu Provincial Government is also planning a major construction initiative targeting the Executive Building within the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The project, pegged at P6.6 million, covers repairs and improvements for several offices inside the Executive Building, a key administrative hub of the Capitol complex in Cebu City.
Details of the planned works were discussed in a recent Sangguniang Panlalawigan session, based on a proposed resolution authorizing Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro to enter into a contract with 5GG Construction.
The contractor, represented by Genaro C. Galvez, will provide labor, materials, and other necessary services for offices on the ground, second, and third floors.
Project documents indicate a total cost of P6,631,352.12, covering maintenance and enhancement activities aimed at addressing wear, aging, and structural deterioration within the building.
The resolution was authored by Board Member Andrei “Red” Duterte and endorsed by the Committee on Arts and Culture, chaired by Board Member Paz Rozgoni, following the committee’s review of heritage-related aspects.
The committee emphasized that procurement, bidding, and cost assessments fall outside its authority, while technical supervision will be handled by the Provincial Engineering Office.
The Cebu Provincial Capitol is classified by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as a Level I National Historical Landmark—the highest protection under the National Cultural Heritage Act.
Any renovation potentially affecting the building’s integrity must comply with Republic Act No. 10066 and coordinate with the NHCP.
The committee noted that documents submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan did not confirm whether prior coordination or permits from the NHCP had been secured.
However, it clarified that formal NHCP approval is only required if the works will alter the structural integrity, defined by law as the wholeness and intactness of a cultural property and its defining features.
With no detailed technical plans submitted during the review, the committee could not determine whether NHCP clearance would be necessary.
Still, it recommended approving the resolution, provided all requirements under the Local Government Code and other applicable laws are followed.
Provincial officials later clarified that the project will focus on basic repairs, including flooring, ceilings, leak remediation, window works, repainting, and maintenance of aged wooden components.
Cebu Provincial Administrator Atty. Ace Durano confirmed that funding will come from the Office of the Governor’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).
“There’s an item in the budget under the Office of the Governor, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE)—adto na kuhaon ang budget,” Durano said. (SBA)
