Tomas wants original CBRT route restored

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña branded the current Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) alignment through South Road Properties (SRP) as “a betrayal of the people of Cebu,” telling the City Council the project must return to its original plan serving Talamban and Bulacao.

“The BRT that I personally spent years bringing … Now there’s no monorail, no Talamban, no Bulacao,” Osmeña said during the City Council’s latest regular session. “Not only that, the World Bank has cancelled the loan, and we’re still made to donate properties to this joint venture? The future of Cebu by going along with this is gone.”

He accused the project of serving malls and developers instead of commuters. “You’re making this a city of Ayala and SM … a city only for the rich. They already stole our SRP, now you are going to deprive the people all the way up to North in Talamban and South in Pardo because we need to put a shopping lane, bus lane from SM Seaside to Ayala,” he warned.

“The future of the urban poor of Cebu is in your hands,” Osmeña told the members of the City Council.

The Council was deliberating on a committee report jointly prepared by the committee on budget and finance, and the committee on transportation, communication, and other utilities.

The report was based on a February 20, 2026 letter from DOTr Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor, requesting approval for CBRT developments along the Cebu City government–Filinvest joint venture loop within SRP.

The plan called for a 2.7-kilometer thoroughfare with a dedicated BRT lane, four stations, mixed-traffic lanes, bicycle lanes, planting strips, and sidewalk enhancements.

An earlier DOTr letter in October 2025 had already flagged encroachment issues along the joint venture property, noting that 8,726 square meters of Filinvest land and 1,497 square meters of city property would be affected.

The department proposed reducing mixed-traffic lanes to minimize encroachment and sought approval to reinstall bollards and curb separators, which had been removed by the previous administration but were deemed essential for proper BRT operations.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the committee on budget and finance, explained that the committee’s recommendation was to convene the Joint Venture Oversight Committee to examine provisions of the agreement, open space allocation, compensation issues, and legal and financial implications.

Osmeña countered that the council itself was the “ultimate oversight committee” and “Not this so-called oversight committee appointed — we don’t even know who the members are. Why are they dictating what’s good for us?” he asked.

 He reminded the Council of his role in introducing the BRT to Cebu after visiting Curitiba, Brazil, in 1995, and securing World Bank funding without Philippine government approval.

“If we do not insist on the immediate restoration of Talamban and Bulacao, we have lost the future of Cebu,” he said.

Councilor Winston Pepito expressed support for the CBRT and SRP development, saying it would boost economic activity and assist thousands of commuters, and noted that Bulacao remained included in the design.

After a recess that stretched to around 15 minutes, Tumulak withdrew his motion to approve the committee report. The withdrawal was seconded and carried, leaving the matter unresolved.

Resolution No. 17-2678-2026 had earlier referred the matter to the committees for comment and recommendation, but with the withdrawal, the Council has effectively taken a wait-and-see stance. (CEBU NEWS)