Residents denounce unfinished mega health center in Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro residents have called for accountability from the local government and its contractor partner for the unfinished Mega Health Building in Sitio Macanhan, Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro. The project costs ₱65 billion. Construction began in March 2023 and was expected to be completed by January 2025. However, the site today only has steel structures that nearby residents to hang their laundry.
Its contractor Nurben Engineering and Building Construction said the local government released only 15% of the funds since the project began. It suspended construction after the city failed to pay the remaining balance. Current city mayor Klarex Uy said the contractor abandoned the project and the local government supposedly owed nothing. Whatever the reason, Uy’s administration merely swept the issue under the rug by announcing that the project would again go through the bidding process. It will have a new contractor and a new budget.
Kabataan Partylist-Cagayan de Oro questioned where the people’s money went. The group urged residents of Cagayan de Oro to channel their outrage toward ending systemic corruption at both local and national levels.
On November 24, the group joined the Interfaith Prayer held at the site of the unfinished mega health center.