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IF HE runs for mayor of Cebu City in the 2025 midterm elections, his runningmate will be former mayor Tomas Osmeña.City Councilor Nestor Archival made the announcement during the Openline media forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa is his candidate for south district representative, while Mary Ann de los Santos is his candidate for north district representative.His lineup for city councilors in the south district consists of Jose Abellanosa, Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, and Eugenio “Jun” Gabuya, while in the north district it consists of Sisinio “Bebs” Andales, Alvin Dizon and Alvin Arcilla.However, the minority floor leader said his final decision will solely rest on securing enough financial support to fuel a campaign. Otherwise, it’s a no-go.He also clarified that the list is not yet final, saying it is subject to the collective decision of their political party, the Bando Osmeña Purok Kauswagan (BOPK). Former mayor Osmeña endorsed Archival for mayor last month.“He might not be a ‘good’ candidate, but I know he would be a good mayor,” Osmeña told SunStar Cebu in a report published on Feb. 28. Archival is one of four individuals who have expressed their intention to run for mayor next year. The other three are incumbent Mayor Michael Rama, Metropolitan Cebu Water District board chairman Jose Daluz III, and former Bureau of Customs commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz. During the 2022 national and local elections, Archival ranked first among the candidates running for councilor in the north district after he garnered 125,485 votes.Aside from being an engineer, Archival is also a businessman and a known environmental advocate.“I was telling Tommy to give me time. I mean, the willingness is one of the ingredients to run but some of the resources like financial resources you need that. If I cannot find it, then I don’t run. So, I’m trying to find ways on how I can find it,” Archival said. If he wins the mayoral race, Archival said that among his agenda will be the “in-house” order within the City’s leadership.He said he has observed over the years that many City Hall officials are either neophytes or inexperienced. He said they must be complemented with individuals who are experienced and experts for better management of manpower and resources of the City Government. He said he will also look for “right” and “realistic” finances that will efficiently fuel the City’s programs and projects thus avoiding wastage. This will include allocating and appropriating only needed funds for every department based on their annual expenses. In his experience, some departments receive more funds than what they need for their annual expenses, he said. Archival said he will be stringent in funding and allocating the City’s coffers to only vital services, programs and projects. / EHP Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games Philippines AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted.

AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. Online Casinos in the Philippines AMID what he calls as “countless blunders” reportedly plaguing the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Cebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco has called for the suspension of scheduled civil works for CBRT packages 2 and 3.The councilor is against further road closures that would consequently worsen the traffic situation in the city indefinitely.Instead, Cuenco calls on the CBRT proponent to first resolve the pending issues hounding the construction of Package 1, and its proposed partial operation this year.“No matter how much we want to trust these projections and timelines, it is leading us to the inevitable conclusion that this project will not be finished as scheduled,” Cuenco said in a privilege speech he delivered during the regular City Council session on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.Cuenco’s speech came a few weeks after representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) appeared before the council on Feb. 7, upon its request, to apprise the council of the development of the ongoing CBRT construction.The council is particularly concerned about the traffic situation of the city that has reportedly worsened due to delays in the CBRT project implementation.During the Feb. 7 executive session, Neda told the council that the project remains economically viable despite delays, while the DOTr bared new projected timelines.The DOTr said it aims to partially operate the CBRT once its Package 1 is completed by the second quarter of 2024.Norvin Imbong, DOTr deputy project manager for systems and stakeholders relations, in the same executive session, said they are now starting with the procurement of Package 2 and “have already started reaching out to more companies that will be participating in the bidding process, land acquisition, resettlement, and social management.”The CBRT Package 2 includes the south trunk – from the South Road Properties to Mambaling via N. Bacalso Ave. – while Package 3 refers to the BRT’s north trunk – from Capitol to Escario St., then to Gorordo Ave. to Arch. Reyes Ave. to Cebu IT Park.However, Cuenco, head of the city’s transportation committee, said the completion of the CBRT project would take a lot longer and become more expensive, unless “corrective” measures are done before proceeding with the civil works for the succeeding phases of the BRT construction.The councilor pointed out that it is impossible for the DOTr to actually partially operate CBRT Package 1 by 2024 because of several issues that still have to be addressed.Part of Package 1 of the CBRT is set for completion in July 2024; however, the DOTr has yet to provide information on their engagement with contractors for the CBRT’s operation and management which raises concerns on the lack clarity and transparency, said Cuenco.Cuenco revealed his staff also came across a letter-invitation from the Public-Private Partnership Center dated Dec. 27, 2023 for negotiated procurement for project preparation and transaction advisory services for the operation and maintenance of the CBRT project.“The addressee, Mr. Prabanant, is a partner at Deloitte Touche Tomatsu India LLP, located in Delhi. Did I not present before in my privilege speech, the pitfalls of the Delhi BRT project, which only lasted a little over a year, folded up and turned out to be a failure,” Cuenco asked.Cuenco said the City Government should have also received copies of all documentary exhibits regarding each modification of the CBRT project, particularly feasibility studies justifying the budget increase from P16 billion to nearly P29 billion. CBRT Package 1 covers 2.38 kilometers from Cebu South Bus Terminal on N. Bacalso Ave. to the front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol Building on Osmeña Blvd.The CBRT is a National Government project. Majority of the construction work affects Cebu City and its residents. Other issuesCuenco pointed out that the DOTr aims to partially operate the project this year, when it has yet to finalize institutional arrangements and the mode of operation (whether public-private partnership or government) of the buses on the BRT route, as these are still subject to an ongoing feasibility study as of February.He also raised concerns on the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages. While the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is doing the acquisition of the lots affected along the national road, he said private lot owners are withholding the sale of their properties pending the City Government’s finalization of its plan to update its real property tax ordinance, which would consequently raise the prices of the owners’ lots and properties.Cuenco suggested allowing the proponent to finish constructing the CBRT Package 1, then observing and studying its partial operations to help determine if the CBRT really works.“In the meantime, let’s urge the BRT (proponent) to take a pause and suspend any further civil works of the package 2 and 3 until all the pending issues shall have been resolved to spare the public with having to bear further traffic nightmares,” Cuenco said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Cuenco then urged the executive department to “immediately commence” the construction and opening of alternative roads while waiting for the completion of the CBRT.

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AMID what he calls as “countless blunders” reportedly plaguing the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Cebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco has called for the suspension of scheduled civil works for CBRT packages 2 and 3.The councilor is against further road closures that would consequently worsen the traffic situation in the city indefinitely.Instead, Cuenco calls on the CBRT proponent to first resolve the pending issues hounding the construction of Package 1, and its proposed partial operation this year.“No matter how much we want to trust these projections and timelines, it is leading us to the inevitable conclusion that this project will not be finished as scheduled,” Cuenco said in a privilege speech he delivered during the regular City Council session on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.Cuenco’s speech came a few weeks after representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) appeared before the council on Feb. 7, upon its request, to apprise the council of the development of the ongoing CBRT construction.The council is particularly concerned about the traffic situation of the city that has reportedly worsened due to delays in the CBRT project implementation.During the Feb. 7 executive session, Neda told the council that the project remains economically viable despite delays, while the DOTr bared new projected timelines.The DOTr said it aims to partially operate the CBRT once its Package 1 is completed by the second quarter of 2024.Norvin Imbong, DOTr deputy project manager for systems and stakeholders relations, in the same executive session, said they are now starting with the procurement of Package 2 and “have already started reaching out to more companies that will be participating in the bidding process, land acquisition, resettlement, and social management.”The CBRT Package 2 includes the south trunk – from the South Road Properties to Mambaling via N. Bacalso Ave. – while Package 3 refers to the BRT’s north trunk – from Capitol to Escario St., then to Gorordo Ave. to Arch. Reyes Ave. to Cebu IT Park.However, Cuenco, head of the city’s transportation committee, said the completion of the CBRT project would take a lot longer and become more expensive, unless “corrective” measures are done before proceeding with the civil works for the succeeding phases of the BRT construction.The councilor pointed out that it is impossible for the DOTr to actually partially operate CBRT Package 1 by 2024 because of several issues that still have to be addressed.Part of Package 1 of the CBRT is set for completion in July 2024; however, the DOTr has yet to provide information on their engagement with contractors for the CBRT’s operation and management which raises concerns on the lack clarity and transparency, said Cuenco.Cuenco revealed his staff also came across a letter-invitation from the Public-Private Partnership Center dated Dec. 27, 2023 for negotiated procurement for project preparation and transaction advisory services for the operation and maintenance of the CBRT project.“The addressee, Mr. Prabanant, is a partner at Deloitte Touche Tomatsu India LLP, located in Delhi. Did I not present before in my privilege speech, the pitfalls of the Delhi BRT project, which only lasted a little over a year, folded up and turned out to be a failure,” Cuenco asked.Cuenco said the City Government should have also received copies of all documentary exhibits regarding each modification of the CBRT project, particularly feasibility studies justifying the budget increase from P16 billion to nearly P29 billion. CBRT Package 1 covers 2.38 kilometers from Cebu South Bus Terminal on N. Bacalso Ave. to the front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol Building on Osmeña Blvd.The CBRT is a National Government project. Majority of the construction work affects Cebu City and its residents. Other issuesCuenco pointed out that the DOTr aims to partially operate the project this year, when it has yet to finalize institutional arrangements and the mode of operation (whether public-private partnership or government) of the buses on the BRT route, as these are still subject to an ongoing feasibility study as of February.He also raised concerns on the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages. While the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is doing the acquisition of the lots affected along the national road, he said private lot owners are withholding the sale of their properties pending the City Government’s finalization of its plan to update its real property tax ordinance, which would consequently raise the prices of the owners’ lots and properties.Cuenco suggested allowing the proponent to finish constructing the CBRT Package 1, then observing and studying its partial operations to help determine if the CBRT really works.“In the meantime, let’s urge the BRT (proponent) to take a pause and suspend any further civil works of the package 2 and 3 until all the pending issues shall have been resolved to spare the public with having to bear further traffic nightmares,” Cuenco said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Cuenco then urged the executive department to “immediately commence” the construction and opening of alternative roads while waiting for the completion of the CBRT. Online Casinos in the Philippines IF HE runs for mayor of Cebu City in the 2025 midterm elections, his runningmate will be former mayor Tomas Osmeña.City Councilor Nestor Archival made the announcement during the Openline media forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa is his candidate for south district representative, while Mary Ann de los Santos is his candidate for north district representative.His lineup for city councilors in the south district consists of Jose Abellanosa, Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, and Eugenio “Jun” Gabuya, while in the north district it consists of Sisinio “Bebs” Andales, Alvin Dizon and Alvin Arcilla.However, the minority floor leader said his final decision will solely rest on securing enough financial support to fuel a campaign. Otherwise, it’s a no-go.He also clarified that the list is not yet final, saying it is subject to the collective decision of their political party, the Bando Osmeña Purok Kauswagan (BOPK). Former mayor Osmeña endorsed Archival for mayor last month.“He might not be a ‘good’ candidate, but I know he would be a good mayor,” Osmeña told SunStar Cebu in a report published on Feb. 28. Archival is one of four individuals who have expressed their intention to run for mayor next year. The other three are incumbent Mayor Michael Rama, Metropolitan Cebu Water District board chairman Jose Daluz III, and former Bureau of Customs commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz. During the 2022 national and local elections, Archival ranked first among the candidates running for councilor in the north district after he garnered 125,485 votes.Aside from being an engineer, Archival is also a businessman and a known environmental advocate.“I was telling Tommy to give me time. I mean, the willingness is one of the ingredients to run but some of the resources like financial resources you need that. If I cannot find it, then I don’t run. So, I’m trying to find ways on how I can find it,” Archival said. If he wins the mayoral race, Archival said that among his agenda will be the “in-house” order within the City’s leadership.He said he has observed over the years that many City Hall officials are either neophytes or inexperienced. He said they must be complemented with individuals who are experienced and experts for better management of manpower and resources of the City Government. He said he will also look for “right” and “realistic” finances that will efficiently fuel the City’s programs and projects thus avoiding wastage. This will include allocating and appropriating only needed funds for every department based on their annual expenses. In his experience, some departments receive more funds than what they need for their annual expenses, he said. Archival said he will be stringent in funding and allocating the City’s coffers to only vital services, programs and projects. / EHP

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IF HE runs for mayor of Cebu City in the 2025 midterm elections, his runningmate will be former mayor Tomas Osmeña.City Councilor Nestor Archival made the announcement during the Openline media forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa is his candidate for south district representative, while Mary Ann de los Santos is his candidate for north district representative.His lineup for city councilors in the south district consists of Jose Abellanosa, Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, and Eugenio “Jun” Gabuya, while in the north district it consists of Sisinio “Bebs” Andales, Alvin Dizon and Alvin Arcilla.However, the minority floor leader said his final decision will solely rest on securing enough financial support to fuel a campaign. Otherwise, it’s a no-go.He also clarified that the list is not yet final, saying it is subject to the collective decision of their political party, the Bando Osmeña Purok Kauswagan (BOPK). Former mayor Osmeña endorsed Archival for mayor last month.“He might not be a ‘good’ candidate, but I know he would be a good mayor,” Osmeña told SunStar Cebu in a report published on Feb. 28. Archival is one of four individuals who have expressed their intention to run for mayor next year. The other three are incumbent Mayor Michael Rama, Metropolitan Cebu Water District board chairman Jose Daluz III, and former Bureau of Customs commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz. During the 2022 national and local elections, Archival ranked first among the candidates running for councilor in the north district after he garnered 125,485 votes.Aside from being an engineer, Archival is also a businessman and a known environmental advocate.“I was telling Tommy to give me time. I mean, the willingness is one of the ingredients to run but some of the resources like financial resources you need that. If I cannot find it, then I don’t run. So, I’m trying to find ways on how I can find it,” Archival said. If he wins the mayoral race, Archival said that among his agenda will be the “in-house” order within the City’s leadership.He said he has observed over the years that many City Hall officials are either neophytes or inexperienced. He said they must be complemented with individuals who are experienced and experts for better management of manpower and resources of the City Government. He said he will also look for “right” and “realistic” finances that will efficiently fuel the City’s programs and projects thus avoiding wastage. This will include allocating and appropriating only needed funds for every department based on their annual expenses. In his experience, some departments receive more funds than what they need for their annual expenses, he said. Archival said he will be stringent in funding and allocating the City’s coffers to only vital services, programs and projects. / EHP, check the following table to see what categories most online casinos in the Philippines fit in.

AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games . Find the best online casinos that accept GCash as a payment method with our guide. Discover all the best games, offers and sign up for an exciting bonus! here is how to register at an online casino site in the Philippines:

IF HE runs for mayor of Cebu City in the 2025 midterm elections, his runningmate will be former mayor Tomas Osmeña.City Councilor Nestor Archival made the announcement during the Openline media forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa is his candidate for south district representative, while Mary Ann de los Santos is his candidate for north district representative.His lineup for city councilors in the south district consists of Jose Abellanosa, Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, and Eugenio “Jun” Gabuya, while in the north district it consists of Sisinio “Bebs” Andales, Alvin Dizon and Alvin Arcilla.However, the minority floor leader said his final decision will solely rest on securing enough financial support to fuel a campaign. Otherwise, it’s a no-go.He also clarified that the list is not yet final, saying it is subject to the collective decision of their political party, the Bando Osmeña Purok Kauswagan (BOPK). Former mayor Osmeña endorsed Archival for mayor last month.“He might not be a ‘good’ candidate, but I know he would be a good mayor,” Osmeña told SunStar Cebu in a report published on Feb. 28. Archival is one of four individuals who have expressed their intention to run for mayor next year. The other three are incumbent Mayor Michael Rama, Metropolitan Cebu Water District board chairman Jose Daluz III, and former Bureau of Customs commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz. During the 2022 national and local elections, Archival ranked first among the candidates running for councilor in the north district after he garnered 125,485 votes.Aside from being an engineer, Archival is also a businessman and a known environmental advocate.“I was telling Tommy to give me time. I mean, the willingness is one of the ingredients to run but some of the resources like financial resources you need that. If I cannot find it, then I don’t run. So, I’m trying to find ways on how I can find it,” Archival said. If he wins the mayoral race, Archival said that among his agenda will be the “in-house” order within the City’s leadership.He said he has observed over the years that many City Hall officials are either neophytes or inexperienced. He said they must be complemented with individuals who are experienced and experts for better management of manpower and resources of the City Government. He said he will also look for “right” and “realistic” finances that will efficiently fuel the City’s programs and projects thus avoiding wastage. This will include allocating and appropriating only needed funds for every department based on their annual expenses. In his experience, some departments receive more funds than what they need for their annual expenses, he said. Archival said he will be stringent in funding and allocating the City’s coffers to only vital services, programs and projects. / EHP Online Casinos in the Philippines . It’s always a good idea to take your time and make sure you’ve found the best online casino in the Philippines on the online gambling market that can give you what you want.

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AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. licensed online casinos AMID what he calls as “countless blunders” reportedly plaguing the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Cebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco has called for the suspension of scheduled civil works for CBRT packages 2 and 3.The councilor is against further road closures that would consequently worsen the traffic situation in the city indefinitely.Instead, Cuenco calls on the CBRT proponent to first resolve the pending issues hounding the construction of Package 1, and its proposed partial operation this year.“No matter how much we want to trust these projections and timelines, it is leading us to the inevitable conclusion that this project will not be finished as scheduled,” Cuenco said in a privilege speech he delivered during the regular City Council session on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.Cuenco’s speech came a few weeks after representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) appeared before the council on Feb. 7, upon its request, to apprise the council of the development of the ongoing CBRT construction.The council is particularly concerned about the traffic situation of the city that has reportedly worsened due to delays in the CBRT project implementation.During the Feb. 7 executive session, Neda told the council that the project remains economically viable despite delays, while the DOTr bared new projected timelines.The DOTr said it aims to partially operate the CBRT once its Package 1 is completed by the second quarter of 2024.Norvin Imbong, DOTr deputy project manager for systems and stakeholders relations, in the same executive session, said they are now starting with the procurement of Package 2 and “have already started reaching out to more companies that will be participating in the bidding process, land acquisition, resettlement, and social management.”The CBRT Package 2 includes the south trunk – from the South Road Properties to Mambaling via N. Bacalso Ave. – while Package 3 refers to the BRT’s north trunk – from Capitol to Escario St., then to Gorordo Ave. to Arch. Reyes Ave. to Cebu IT Park.However, Cuenco, head of the city’s transportation committee, said the completion of the CBRT project would take a lot longer and become more expensive, unless “corrective” measures are done before proceeding with the civil works for the succeeding phases of the BRT construction.The councilor pointed out that it is impossible for the DOTr to actually partially operate CBRT Package 1 by 2024 because of several issues that still have to be addressed.Part of Package 1 of the CBRT is set for completion in July 2024; however, the DOTr has yet to provide information on their engagement with contractors for the CBRT’s operation and management which raises concerns on the lack clarity and transparency, said Cuenco.Cuenco revealed his staff also came across a letter-invitation from the Public-Private Partnership Center dated Dec. 27, 2023 for negotiated procurement for project preparation and transaction advisory services for the operation and maintenance of the CBRT project.“The addressee, Mr. Prabanant, is a partner at Deloitte Touche Tomatsu India LLP, located in Delhi. Did I not present before in my privilege speech, the pitfalls of the Delhi BRT project, which only lasted a little over a year, folded up and turned out to be a failure,” Cuenco asked.Cuenco said the City Government should have also received copies of all documentary exhibits regarding each modification of the CBRT project, particularly feasibility studies justifying the budget increase from P16 billion to nearly P29 billion. CBRT Package 1 covers 2.38 kilometers from Cebu South Bus Terminal on N. Bacalso Ave. to the front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol Building on Osmeña Blvd.The CBRT is a National Government project. Majority of the construction work affects Cebu City and its residents. Other issuesCuenco pointed out that the DOTr aims to partially operate the project this year, when it has yet to finalize institutional arrangements and the mode of operation (whether public-private partnership or government) of the buses on the BRT route, as these are still subject to an ongoing feasibility study as of February.He also raised concerns on the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages. While the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is doing the acquisition of the lots affected along the national road, he said private lot owners are withholding the sale of their properties pending the City Government’s finalization of its plan to update its real property tax ordinance, which would consequently raise the prices of the owners’ lots and properties.Cuenco suggested allowing the proponent to finish constructing the CBRT Package 1, then observing and studying its partial operations to help determine if the CBRT really works.“In the meantime, let’s urge the BRT (proponent) to take a pause and suspend any further civil works of the package 2 and 3 until all the pending issues shall have been resolved to spare the public with having to bear further traffic nightmares,” Cuenco said in a mix of Cebuano and English.Cuenco then urged the executive department to “immediately commence” the construction and opening of alternative roads while waiting for the completion of the CBRT.

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AMID calls to stop the P28.78 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Friday that the project will still push through and that the first of its packages may even be operational in a couple of months.“Ipagpatutuloy po natin yan. We will continue. As we have discussed with the mayor and the governor, we will push through with the project,” Bautista said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association on April 19, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Cebu. Bautista met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Thursday night, April 18, and concerns over the CBRT’s implementation were among the things they discussed. “We agreed to help each other, to coordinate with each other, so that we can continue the construction of the Cebu BRT. Posibling magkaroon ng (It’s possible for there to be a) modification,” he added. Bautista also met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Friday morning regarding the CBRT project.Rama sued the governor on March 20 for meddling in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) project built in the highly urbanized and independent Cebu City, after Garcia ordered contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. on Feb. 27 to halt CBRT construction activities on Province-owned lots on Osmeña Blvd.She said the construction work potentially violated a Philippine heritage law, as it appeared to be conducted within the buffer zones of heritage zones. In particular, Garcia complained that the large leaf design of the intended Capitol bus station obstructed the view of the pre-war era Provincial Capitol building.Suspend packagesSince the start of the civil works on the CBRT Package 1 in March 2023, delays and controversies have marred the project, the most recent of which was the call of the Cebu City Council at its regular session last Wednesday to suspend the implementation of Packages 2, 3 and 4 of the CBRT project, and to change the route of the project. Last March 25, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) requested the proponent DOTr to submit an Archeological Impact Assessment and development plans for the project for the NCCA’s approval before resuming work on Capitol-owned lots in the area.Bautista said there is a possibility of modifications in the CBRT project, including the redesigning of the bus station. However, he stressed that the modifications must be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), and the project funders, meaning the World Bank and the French Development Agency.No changeBut in a text message on Friday, CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong told SunStar Cebu that the design of the bus station along Osmeña Blvd. in front of the Cebu Capitol Building going to the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will remain the same due to the difficulty of redesigning it. Imbong added that CBRT implementers are working to comply with the heritage impact assessment, with the DOTr central office already having hired a third-party proponent to formulate the assessment. Bautista, on the other hand, said he will review the call of some local officials to stop the project. “Ang tinatapos lang natin ay (The only thing we are completing is) Package 1, but we will work with them kasi (because) this is a very important project of the Department (of Transportation) as it will benefit the Cebuanos,” Bautista said. “Overall, we are looking for partial operations, siguro mga (maybe in) June of this year,” he added. The CBRT, a priority project of the Marcos Jr. administration, has a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. It spans 35.28 kilometers.The project, first intended to be completed in 2025 but moved to 2027, is divided into four packages. Package 1 covers the route from Osmeña Boulevard to the South Bus Terminal (2.38 kilometers); Package 2, route from the South Road Properties (SRP), Barangay Mambaling, and Escario St., Capitol, and Gorordo Ave. (10.8 km); Package 3, routes from the Cebu IT Park to Barangay Talamban and from the SRP to Talisay City. Package 4 will feature a dedicated lane from barangays Bulacao to Mambaling, extension of the alignment from Ayala to Cebu IT Park, a rotunda underneath the Mambaling flyover, and the conversion of a mixed traffic lane along the coastal road at the SRP and F. Vestil St.The CBRT project is expected to cater to 60,000 passengers daily in its first year of operation, and up to 160,000 passengers once fully operational, according to the DOTr. Trial runMajority of the members of the Cebu City Council once again called to suspend the civil works of the second to fourth packages of the CBRT, but this time, only for six months while a trial run for the Barangay Bulacao to Ayala route is conducted.Last February, the Council had called for the suspension of the remaining packages, without indicating the duration for the suspension, saying only that the suspension should be undertaken to give time to observe the Package 1 operations to help determine if the CBRT really works, as well as to address the challenges to acquire the lots needed for the succeeding CBRT packages.The Council also unanimously agreed Wednesday, April 17, to request Mayor Rama to convene a CBRT Technical Working Group to discuss the option of a City-operated trial run of a CBRT route from Bulacao to Ayala while the three remaining packages of the CBRT are suspended.But the proposed trial run did not sit well with some councilors, who said a TWG study must be done before conducting the trial run.Fix the projectCebu City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, who chairs the committee on transportation and who has been a critic of the CBRT project, said in his privilege speech on Wednesday that there is still a chance to fix the mass transport system project through the steps presented by mass transportation expert and consultant Rene Santiago.Cuenco said that according to Santigao, there could be three ways the CBRT project could proceed with the suspension of the remaining packages after the completion of Package 1: Conduct a dry run for the Bulacao to Ayala route; have exclusive bus lanes but no re-paving of roads, and just use temporary cost-effective bus stations; and for the Cebu City Government to take over with the Neda and the DOTr observing.“That is why I have presented my speech not to counter-argue, but to clarify. By coming together with open minds, we can chart a path forward that will ensure that this project is implemented not as a reckless battle but as a strategic operation,” said Cuenco.But Councilor Nestor Archival questioned the proposal, saying that during the executive session last April 3 where Santiago was present, he was not able to answer how he intended to perform his suggestions.“During the executive session, he was telling us that he can do that within six months, but he can’t prove it. He can’t tell us how,” said Archival.Cuenco said he met with Santiago after the executive session and the traffic expert told him what steps to be taken for the project within six months, but he can’t reveal these yet “because the Department of Transportation might copy.”Archival, in response, said he preferred convening the TWG first and have it conduct a study immediately and give a report to the Council on the feasibility of a trial run.These concerns prompted Archival not to vote for the measures presented by Cuenco.Other members of the minority bloc, Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also voted no to the measures presented by Cuenco.Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying his concerns on who will operate the CBRT and what type of buses traverse the CBRT route remained unanswered by the transportation agency.Wrong routeIn his privilege speech, Cuenco also said that during an executive session on April 3, 2024, engineers Santiago and Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that Package 1 of the CBRT project could have been implemented elsewhere instead of Osmeña Boulevard. Their reasons included the short distance of the CBRT route from the South Bus Terminal to the Capitol, the presence of numerous crosswalks along the route, and the possibility of simpler BRT station designs to save time and money. They said the current BRT routes primarily connect commercial centers like the Ayala mall and Cebu IT Park, rather than residential areas as originally intended. They also questioned the request for a depot in SRP, which they argued was not aligned with the BRT’s original purpose. Instead, they proposed considering an alternative route via Fuente to Gen. Maxilom Ave. if the public prefers avoiding Capitol, while maintaining the start and end points in Barangays Bulacao and Talamban. The session concluded that there is no reason not to suspend Packages 2 and 3 while exploring the possibility of streamlining the route to a direct path from Bulacao to Ayala or Talamban.MisconceptionsCuenco also responded to former mayor Tomas Osmeña’s warning of a possible blacklisting by donor nations if the CBRT project were to be halted, by saying that the cancellation of foreign state loans for large-scale projects has not always resulted in negative repercussions. He said in 2016, a $300 million e-trike project loan from the Asian Development Bank was canceled due to lack of buyers and high manufacturing costs. He added that in 2022, a $64.6 million loan for the BRT Line 1 project from Quezon Ave. to España Blvd. was canceled by agreement between the government and the World Bank. He also said that in 2023, a $172 million loan from South Korea for the proposed New Cebu International Container Port expired with the project only one percent complete. In too deep Cuenco said another misconception is that the CBRT project has progressed too far and a significant portion of its loan has been spent, making it impossible to halt. However, he said during their session, that the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Cebu City’s Lot Acquisition Committee revealed that only half of the project’s budget is allocated for land acquisition. He said no letter-offers had been served to lot owners yet, so half of the project budget remains unspent, with only time being wasted. Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games

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