Cebu City Council rejects CBRT realignment

Local

FOLLOWING a split vote that underscored differing views on transport priorities, the Cebu City Council on Friday, July 3, rejected a proposal to formally oppose the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) plan to realign portions of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project toward the South Road Properties (SRP).

The proposed resolution, championed by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, failed to pass after seven council members voted in favor, two voted against, and four abstained.

Supporting the measure were Osmeña and Councilors Philip Zafra, Paul Labra, Michelle Abella-Celona, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, and Jose Abellanosa.

Councilors Jun Alcover and Harry Eran voted against the proposal, while Councilors Dave Tumulak, Winston Pepito, Mikel Rama, and Nice Archival abstained.

The resolution sought to make it the official position of the Cebu City Council that it rejects the DOTr's proposed realignment and retains the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor as the project's priority.

Osmeña has argued that Cebu City, not the national government, has the authority to approve or reject changes to the CBRT alignment.

"We're not asking the DOTr to reject. We are doing the rejecting," Osmeña said during an earlier council session when he amended his own proposed resolution.

He maintained that merely urging the DOTr to reject the proposal would not prevent the agency from proceeding with the revised alignment.

"If the city disapproves of the alignment, DOTr cannot override it," he added.

According to Osmeña, the Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor should remain the centerpiece of the project because it was the alignment approved during planning, public consultations, and the project's international funding process.

The proposed resolution came after days of debate among council members over whether extending the BRT to the SRP would weaken or complement the original corridor.

Transportation Committee Chairman Winston Pepito, who abstained from Friday's vote, maintained that the city should pursue both alignments instead of treating them as competing projects.

Pepito said the proposed SRP route would serve thousands of workers, residents, and visitors while supporting continued investment in what has become one of Cebu City's fastest-growing business and tourism districts.

He has also argued that construction in the SRP could move ahead sooner because it faces fewer right-of-way, demolition, and road widening challenges than the original northern corridor.

Rama shared a similar position, saying the city should not frame the issue as a choice between improving public transportation and promoting economic development.

During earlier deliberations, Tumulak also questioned the need for another resolution, pointing out that the council had already approved a previous measure asking the Office of the President and the World Bank to review the proposed realignment and restore the original route.

Before the vote, the council convened a special session where officials from the DOTr were invited to explain the basis for the proposed changes to the CBRT alignment.

The special session followed nearly an hour of debate during the council's regular meeting, where members agreed they should first hear the agency's justification before deciding on Osmeña's proposal.

The issue resurfaced after the council earlier withdrew a committee report supporting further evaluation of the DOTr's request to build additional CBRT infrastructure within the SRP.

The DOTr has been seeking the city's approval for the additional infrastructure as it works to complete project components within funding deadlines.

Although the proposal to formally reject the realignment failed, discussions over the future of the CBRT are expected to continue as the city and the national government work through differing views on how Cebu's flagship mass transport system should move forward.(TGP)