It’s a go for Cebu’s bus rapid transit system

The government is pushing through with the Cebu bus rapid transit (BRT) after economic managers last Friday approved a higher project cost to implement it on top of six other infrastructure and financing projects worth a total of P57.5 billion.

During the National Economic and Development Authority’s Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) meeting, the cost for the implementation of the Cebu BRT was jacked up to P16.3 billion from P10.6 billion, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda director general Ernesto M. Pernia confirmed to the Inquirer.

Economic Planning Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan explained to the Inquirer last week that the additional cost would cover right-of-way (ROW) acquisition.

The Neda Board under then President Aquino approved the Cebu BRT in 2014, but the project encountered delays.

In a report in June, the World Bank, which is funding the project, deemed its implementation as “moderately unsatisfactory” following delays in the procurement of consultants.

The World Bank had said that the overall risk rating for the project remained “high” partly as important legal steps have yet to be undertaken to start it.

The Neda ICC-CabCom, chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, also green-lighted the Department of Public Works and Highways’ P21.2-billion Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project, which will upgrade seven gravel roads running 236.5 kilometers on top of a 40-kilometer road segment on the island, the Department of Finance said in a statement.

Also, the Neda ICC-CabCom approved the creation of the Project Facilitation, Monitoring and Innovation Task Force, which the DOF said would monitor the government’s top 75 infrastructure flagship projects worth an estimated total of P14.9 billion.