City rolls out road asphalting program

CEBU, Philippines — Rocky and muddy roads that have long been left unattended across Cebu City will finally be paved, as Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed that the city’s asphalting program will go full blast from January until June 30, 2026.

Archival said funds have already been set aside to guarantee the program’s completion.

For years, barangay leaders have pressed City Hall for additional asphalt to repair deteriorating streets, but their requests often resulted in only partial delivery.

Archival recalled how the city had to stretch its limited budget for asphalting in 2025, ensuring that every barangay received at least some assistance, even if not in full.

This time, however, the mayor said the allocation is sufficient to cover all identified roads, promising smoother travel and cleaner surroundings across the city.

“From January 1 to June 30, whatever needs to be asphalted, ato gyud ng ispaltuhon,” he declared, underscoring that the program will finally meet long-standing demands.

Road surfacing has been a recurring priority of both the local and national governments. For Archival, the paving of rocky and muddy roads is more than a routine upgrade. The program signals Cebu City’s determination to overcome past financial shortfalls and deliver tangible improvements, ensuring smoother journeys while reinforcing broader commitments to health, connectivity, and sustainable development.

The asphalting drive also forms part of a broader agenda, as Mayor Archival, in his last press conference for 2025, revealed other infrastructure project priorities.

The Cebu City Medical Center, demolished in 2014 and long delayed, is slated for renewed construction beginning January 2026, with Archival acknowledging that hundreds of millions of pesos are needed to correct structural deficiencies before the hospital can be fully operational by 2028.

Bridge projects, solar installations, and rainwater catchment systems are likewise being advanced, reflecting the administration’s focus on sustainability and resilience alongside traditional roadworks. — /FPL (FREEMAN)