Committee created to review MPTC third bridge proposal

CEBU, Philippines - A joint venture selection committee was created Friday to review and come up with recommendations on the proposed P16.5 billion third bridge project that would link Cebu City with Mactan Island.

The committee is composed of the officials from Cebu City and Municipality of Cordova.

Cebu City Administrator Lucelle Mercado, one of the members of the committee, said their task is to review the documents and joint venture agreement proposal from Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation.

MPTC, a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation headed by business tycoon Manuel Pangilinan, has proposed to build the third bridge linking the mainland Cebu to Mactan Island under Public Private Partnership. 

Aside from Mercado, the other members of the Cebu City contingent in the committee are the city legal officer, city treasurer, General Services Office, South Road Properties Management Office, City Councilor Noel Wenceslao, and former councilor Joey Daluz III.

The Cordova team is headed by Vice Mayor Therese Sitoy-Cho, some municipal councilors, engineers, treasurer, and planning officer.

Mercado admitted that the Cordova team is ahead in terms of reviewing the legalities of the documents submitted by the proponent.

“We’re trying to hit as early as November kay dugay pod raba mag-review og documents especially ang eligibility sa proponent because we want to make sure that the company undertaking the project is capable,” she said.

Mercado said that after review of the documents, the committee will come up with their respective recommendations to the local chief executives of Cebu City and Cordova.

She said the committee is scheduled to meet early next month before submitting their recommendations.

“This is because the committee will compare notes and aron maka-recommend mi’g dungan,” Mercado said.

She said that if the two mayors would agree to the recommendations, they will officially declare MPTC as the original proponent.

 Mercado said the proposal will be forwarded to the City Council to authorize the chief executive to sign and enter into an agreement with MPTC for the project. If the agreement would get its approval by all offices, the construction would commence next year and is set to be operational in 2018. (FREEMAN)