Council rejects CBRT road network at SRP

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project suffered another setback after the Cebu City Council rejected a request from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to build a new road network within the South Road Properties (SRP).

The council, adopting a report from its committee on laws chaired by Councilor Mikel Rama, ruled against the proposal, citing the absence of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) covering the property jointly developed by the Cebu City Government and Filinvest Land Inc.

The committee said the lack of the agreement made it impossible for the council to determine ownership structures, rights, obligations, and whether the city could lawfully authorize the proposed road works without the explicit consent of Filinvest.

It warned that approving the request without the JVA could violate constitutional provisions protecting contractual obligations.

The DOTr, through Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor, had sought the city’s approval for the construction of a 2.7-kilometer loop road around the joint venture property.

The proposed road network includes a dedicated BRT lane with four stations, two mixed-traffic lanes, bicycle lanes, planting strips, drainage systems, street lighting, and upgraded sidewalks.

To accommodate the project, more than 10,000 square meters of land would need to be widened, including 8,726 square meters within the joint venture property and 1,497 square meters of city-owned land.

Pastor said Filinvest had already integrated the proposed alignment into its updated site development plan and stressed that the works were necessary to meet the September 2026 deadline tied to the World Bank loan financing the project.

He added that the construction of the SRP 4 and SRP 5 stations was essential for seamless operations within the SRP segment before the loan closes.

While the committee acknowledged that the proposal falls within the powers of the city council under the Local Government Code of 1991, it maintained that the legal basis for the project remains incomplete without the JVA.

In its recommendations, the committee ordered the return of the DOTr request for re-evaluation and submission of the missing documents. Copies of the report were also furnished to the mayor, the SRP Management Office, and the proponent for guidance and administrative action.

The council’s decision effectively prevents the project from moving forward until the required legal documents are submitted.

Earlier communications from the DOTr had already acknowledged that the proposed alignment would overlap with both joint venture and city-owned properties, requiring coordination with Filinvest.

In an October 2025 letter to Mayor Nestor Archival, the DOTr detailed that the encroachment would affect 8,726 square meters of JV land, including 7,536 square meters along Cebu South Coastal Road and 1,190 square meters along Antolihao Road.

The agency also said adjustments had been made to reduce the project’s footprint, including scaling down mixed-traffic lanes.

The same letter identified several unresolved concerns, including the final road elevation pending the SRP drainage master plan, development of a 1.6-hectare intermodal terminal, construction of SRP 4 and 5 bus stations serving City di Mare and Il Corso, acquisition of 55 lots and 65 structures along F. Vestil Street and Talamban, reinstallation of bollards and curb separators removed by a previous administration, and extension of a temporary storage permit for BRT components at SRP.

The latest setback comes as the CBRT project continues to face international scrutiny.

Originally proposed in the 1990s and formally approved in 2014, the project has long been hounded by delays, political transitions, procurement problems, and right-of-way disputes.

The World Bank, which co-financed the project with the French Development Agency, has already canceled $84.9 million from the original $141-million loan package.

The bank has also rated the project “unsatisfactory,” citing unresolved issues involving terminal site acquisition, resettlement, road rights-of-way, and operations and maintenance arrangements.

The Filinvest-Cebu City joint venture property, known as City di Mare, spans 58 hectares and includes residential communities, commercial establishments, and recreational areas.

For Filinvest, the BRT alignment must be carefully integrated into its masterplan, which already includes bike lanes, drainage improvements, and open parks. — /FPL (FREEMAN)