Jica pitches dev’t roadmap for Metro Cebu

A ROADMAP that aid agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is pitching for implementation in Metro Cebu is seen to generate one million additional jobs as well as sustain robust growth in the “Queen City of the South” and suburbs until 2050.

In a statement on Tuesday, Jica said it recently concluded the study for sustainable urban development in Metro Cebu or “Metro Cebu Roadmap,” in line with the Cebu City local government’s Mega Cebu Vision 2050 blueprint for sustainable economic development.

The aim is to establish “a vibrant, equitable, sustainable and competitive environment that embraces Cebu’s creativity and its cultural, historical and natural resources, with strong citizen participation and responsive governance,” Jica noted.

“We hope that the Philippine government will approve the roadmap in the same way that they supported the Infrastructure Roadmap for Mega Manila,” said Noriaki Niwa, Jica’s chief representative in the Philippines, adding that Jica also hoped to gain the support of future administrations.

Niwa said the Metro Cebu Roadmap showed that the Central Visayas region “can become a leading growth center in the country, and therefore has the potential to sustain the Philippines’ economic gains, and jobs for Filipinos.”

The roadmap identified 10 flagship projects for implementation until 2020 on top of 14 anchor programs to be implemented by 2050, Jica said.

If the projects proposed by Jica will be implemented, “economic activities in Metro Cebu are expected to increase by 15 times the 2010 level” 35 years from now.

“The city’s GDP (gross domestic product) per capita is expected to grow more than $20,000 in 2050, almost the same as [South] Korea’s level in 2010. Metro Cebu’s GDP is also projected to rise by 8.3 percent annually between 2010 and 2020; 7.8 percent per year from 2020 to 2030; and then 5.8 percent per year from 2030 to 2050,” Jica said.

Under the roadmap are seven sub-roadmaps on highway network and public transport; metropolitan competitiveness enhancement; metropolitan governance; smart South Road properties development; solid waste management; urban structure and land use; and water supply, storm water and wastewater management.

The study for the Metro Cebu Roadmap was started in 2013 by Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board in collaboration with Jica as well as Yokohama City, Japan.