Archival to revive Sudlon 1 tramline

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has vowed to revive the tramline in Barangay Sudlon 1, a facility first built in 2012 to help ease the burden of upland farmers in transporting their agricultural goods.

During a personal inspection of the tramline, Archival underscored its importance in moving fertilizers, seedlings, and harvests across steep terrain without the prohibitive costs of hauling these items down to the city and back again.

“Mao kani magdala sa mga fertilizers, seedlings gikan dinhi… Unya sa ilang abot… Mas dako ilang gasto sa pagda padong dinhi,” Archival said during a Facebook Live, recalling how the tramline once spared farmers from exhausting treks.

He examined the damaged mechanism and directed that city engineers be deployed to assess and repair the facility.

“Ato ning ipabalik dinhi sa atong City engineers, para ato ning mabalik, maayo nato,” he added.

The tramline was constructed through the Department of Agriculture during Archival’s tenure as a city councilor. It was designed as a cable transport system that carries baskets and cages across mountain slopes. Farmers previously relied on it to bring farm inputs uphill and transport their harvests down to market access points.

The planned rehabilitation of the tramline is now seen as part of the city’s broader efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity and resilience in upland communities.

Earlier, the city’s Agriculture Department reported that despite setbacks caused by recent calamities, farmers in Sudlon 1 were still able to harvest rice, although yields fell short of expectations. One farmer expressed gratitude for the harvest, saying it remained a blessing despite the challenges.

Hybrid rice seeds were supplied by the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office 7, while the City Agriculture Department provided fertilizer and technical assistance throughout the production cycle.

City Agriculturist Joey Baclayon continues to lead initiatives to support rice farmers. His department is exploring additional measures to further improve and stabilize rice production in Cebu City, ensuring that upland communities remain resilient and productive. — (FREEMAN)