The Cebu Provincial Government is pushing ahead with plans to rehabilitate the long-abandoned Marcelo Fernan Chief Justice Hall of Justice, with officials saying the move is aimed not only at restoring a quake-damaged structure but also addressing the worsening shortage of office space inside the Capitol compound.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Ace Durano said several provincial offices are currently operating in shared or temporary workspaces, prompting the government to prioritize the reuse of the idle building located behind the Executive Building.
“We really lack space,” Durano said.
He said the Capitol has allocated P150 million under its 2026 Development Fund to begin initial rehabilitation works, pending a formal agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which originally constructed the building.
Durano said discussions with the DOJ have been ongoing since last year, with the Provincial Legal Office helping facilitate coordination.
“In the budget there is P150 million to start the rehabilitation of the project. The remaining issue na lang is because that building was constructed by the Department of Justice, so we just need a new arrangement with them,” he said.
Capitol officials said offices such as the Barangay Affairs Office, Provincial Sports Commission, and Investment Promotions Office are among those currently operating in shared spaces due to limited room.
“They are just sharing space right now,” Durano said.
The provincial government is also exploring the possibility of accommodating the Court of Appeals in part of the facility, which officials said could improve access to judicial services in Cebu.
“The Court of Appeals wants to transfer here and it would be good service as well for the Cebuanos,” Durano said.
Under the plan, only a portion of the building would be allocated to the appellate court, while remaining areas would house Capitol offices.
The rehabilitation initiative is also linked to a broader reorganization of provincial office spaces.
Durano said Governor Pamela Baricuatro has directed plans to convert the current Provincial Tourism Office area into a larger health facility that could serve both employees and the public.
“What the governor wants is that office there now will be turned into an RHU, murag clinic na big enough and complete enough nga dili lang para sa mga empleyado,” he said.
The Hall of Justice has remained unused since the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Bohol and parts of Cebu in October 2013, which caused significant structural damage.
Engineering assessments and evaluations by the Office of the Building Official found that the first three floors of the structure remain usable, while the fourth floor will need to be demolished.
“Actually it passed already, maong we’re going to the next stage,” Durano said.
The rehabilitation project is estimated to cost around P400 million and will be implemented in phases under a multi-year funding scheme.
“It’s a multi-year funding clearly. Karun lang sugdan, then next year butangan nasad na,” he added.
Photo courtesy of Cebu Province / Facebook
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