Cebu International Convention Center

The Cebu International Convention Center is a beautiful structure developed and managed by Mandaue City and the Province of Cebu. It's located at the reclamation area in Mandaue City, built specifically for the 12th ASEAN Summit held in January 2007. Construction on the building was blazingly fast, beginning in April 2006 and finishing in December that year.

Around the time of the ASEAN summit the pundits and spin masters were trying to make a controversy out of things, as they always do, gleefully predicting that it couldn't be done. Saying either that the structure was overpriced, or poorly constructed, or wouldn't be finished on time. But don't you listen to them-- no evidence has turned up of kickbacks or overpricing of any kind, the building was completed on time, the ASEAN summit was a success, and the convention center has been put to good use ever since. In fact, considering all the government projects that actually are poorly conceived and executed, the CICC should stand as a hallmark of a job well done. Unfortunately "Cynics proven dead wrong" doesn't make a very attractive headline.

Some were even saying the convention center is too nice to be located in Cebu. Hmmph. People outside Manila deserve nice things too!

I finally got to check out the CICC for myself lately, going there early in the morning to take pictures and soak in the atmosphere. Luckily, I discovered that there was a high school graduation ceremony scheduled to be held there that very morning, which provided me the opportunity to blend in with the crowd and walk inside as if I belonged there. Haha... I can be such a creepy guy...

All the while I kept thinking that it would have been better to take photos in the afternoon, when the sun was shining on the building's facade. But the early morning provides some cool shots too.

The arch that goes over the building is supposed to symbolize something, I cannot remember what. With the prongs at the end it reminds me of a woman giving birth.

Here's a view of the convention center from the a cool monolith-like monument at the eastern end.

This is the lobby. The ground floor has the summit hall and lots of individual meeting rooms, and the second floor has the plenary hall and exhibition hall.