Archival to consult with nat’l gov’t after council’s rejection of CBRT realignment

Local

CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival will formally seek clarification from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) instead of supporting the Cebu City Council's call to reject the South Road Properties (SRP) component of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT), saying the national government has already incorporated the alignment into the project's approved plans.

Archival said he intends to send a letter to the DOTr to discuss the implementation of the SRP segment, stressing that he does not believe the city can simply remove a portion of a project that has already secured national approval.

This comes days after the Cebu City Council adopted a resolution authored by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña rejecting the DOTr's inclusion of the SRP loop in the CBRT's Phase 1 implementation and urging the national government to retain the project's original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor as the priority.

Rather than pushing for the cancellation of the SRP alignment, Archival said discussions with the DOTr should instead focus on how the agency can address the concerns raised by the council.

Archival maintained that documents he reviewed indicate the SRP component has long formed part of the CBRT's approved alignment, even under previous agreements signed by city officials.

"Whether you like it or not, it's there," he said.

The mayor said he understands why Osmeña questioned the decision to implement the SRP corridor ahead of the Bulacao segment but added that the DOTr had earlier explained the sequencing to him.

According to Archival, transportation officials told him the government prioritized the SRP section because it faces significantly fewer right-of-way problems than the Bulacao corridor, allowing construction to proceed more quickly.

The government, he said, also wanted to complete an operational segment before the World Bank loan financing the project reached its expiration.

Instead of deleting the SRP alignment, Archival proposed expanding the Phase 1 operations beyond the SRP so commuters from Mambaling and Bulacao could also benefit during the initial rollout.

He said the original Bulacao route remains part of the project's long-term alignment, contrary to concerns that it had been abandoned.

"The original concept is still there," he said, explaining that the issue centers on the order of implementation rather than the permanent removal of the original corridor.

Archival also stressed that the CBRT remains a national government project, limiting the city's authority over its implementation.

"I don't have the power because that is not our project, actually. Beneficiary ra man ta," he said.

He said the city may communicate its concerns to the DOTr but cannot compel the agency to remove a component that has already been approved through national processes.

Archival also questioned the practicality of abandoning infrastructure that has already undergone years of planning.

"If we cancel it, then what? Are we not going to put buses there?" he said.

The mayor also linked the government's implementation strategy to the approaching expiration of the World Bank loan that originally financed the project.

Although the World Bank has since withdrawn $84.9 million in financing for the CBRT, Archival said he believes the national government still intends to complete the remaining components through alternative funding arrangements.

He noted that delays had already resulted in the government paying substantial standby charges while portions of the loan remained undisbursed.

Last week, the Cebu City Council approved Osmeña's resolution rejecting the SRP component of the CBRT after a special session where DOTr officials defended the revised alignment.

The agency maintained that the SRP extension does not replace the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor but merely expands the network.

It also warned that rejecting the SRP component would only remove future CBRT operations in the SRP while allowing the rest of the NEDA-approved project to proceed.(TGP)