Archival welcomes city’s rosy partnership with Capitol

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CEBU CITY and Capitol are back on speaking terms, and this time, big-ticket projects may finally move.

Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. said on Monday that he is confident that improved relations with Governor Pamela Baricuatro will soon bear fruit for Cebu.

In a press conference on Monday, July 21, Archival described his ongoing collaboration with Baricuatro as “promising.”

He pointed to key infrastructure and urban development plans that are now gaining momentum due to what he called a “synergized” approach between City Hall and the Capitol.

“It is so promising because we understand that major projects—pagsugod pa gyud—nagkaestorya mi ni Governor Pam. Usa ani ang CBRT, usa ni sa pinaka dako nga project. Ang isa ka project ani kay ang expressway gikan sa Carcar going to Danao,” Archival told reporters.

He said both he and Baricuatro agreed on the need to complete the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) and support the development of a long-proposed expressway that will run from Carcar to Danao.

“We both agreed nga angay ni malapos because these are something very important to decongest the traffic in the city... Dako kaayo na nga epekto sa traffic decongestion,” Archival added.

Archival also confirmed that discussions with Capitol on resolving the 93-1 land dispute, long a point of contention between the two LGUs, have resumed. A working committee has been established to coordinate efforts between the city and the province on this matter.

“Last Saturday, naa’y meeting ang taga-Urban Poor, and usa ni sa nahisgutan ang 93-1,” Archival said. “Now, the working committee will sync with the working committee sa provincial government gihimo ni Governor Pam. But certainly, ang direction nato sa provincial ug sa syudad, basically niingon si Governor nga whatever is being agreed, mo-follow lang ta.”

Archival said that while there are no definitive details yet, Capitol-owned lots at the South Road Properties (SRP) are also being looked into. One potential development includes building a main public terminal at the SRP.

“Usa diay sad sa gitan-aw ni Gov kay naa man silay lot diha sa SRP. Naay posibilidad guro naay main terminal sa SRP, kanang dako gyud ba,” Archival added.

He said the city’s long-term plans stand to benefit greatly from a cooperative working relationship with the province.

“Sobra na ka-importante nga relation," Archival said.

The budding partnership between the city and the Capitol comes after years of friction that delayed the rollout of major urban programs, including the CBRT and 93-1.

But in a symbolic display of unity, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña hosted a dinner for Baricuatro and Archival on July 20, at his residence in Barangay Guadalupe, a gesture he described as a signal that the city and the province were finally “moving forward.”

“Finally, after years of interference with the BRT and more than a decade of obstructionism with 93-1, Cebu City and Cebu Province can work towards the greater good of all Cebuanos—a goal that transcends the affiliations of national politics,” Osmeña said in a Facebook post.

In previous years, tensions between the Capitol and City Hall stalled several major initiatives.

Former Governor Gwendolyn Garcia pushed for the removal of the BRT station near the Capitol, citing heritage concerns, drawing sharp criticism from then-Mayor Michael Rama.

Relations were also strained over the Sinulog Festival venue row, after Capitol rejected the city’s push to move events to the SRP.

Although Cebu City is geographically located within the province, it operates independently as a highly urbanized city, often leading to jurisdictional clashes with the Capitol.

Baricuatro and Archival, both first-term leaders, appear eager to break from that history. In their first month in office, they already finalized the reopening of J. Padriga Street in Barangay Apas, an early show of goodwill meant to ease congestion along the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

Baricuatro has also formed a Capitol-level committee to revisit the 93-1 land swap agreement signed in 2016, which aims to transfer ownership of certain province-owned lots to their urban poor occupants in Cebu City.

Both Archival and Baricuatro have emphasized their shared commitment to get the CBRT running and to pursue infrastructure solutions that benefit both LGUs.

As Baricuatro puts it, governance, not politics, should take the front seat. And as Archival hinted, this political thaw could finally usher in long-awaited breakthroughs for Cebu.

“Certainly, yes. Sigurado gyud na,” the mayor said.(TGP)