Council OKs farm road deal

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has authorized Mayor Nestor Archival to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office VII (DARFO-7) for the implementation of P160 million worth of farm-to-market road projects in six upland barangays.

The authorization, however, comes with conditions set by the Committee on Infrastructure of the City Council.

In the proposed resolution authored by Councilor Alvin Arcilla, he sought authority for the mayor to enter into a MOA with DA-RFO 7, represented by Regional Executive Director Angel C. Enriquez, for the concreting and improvement of farm-to-market roads in hilly barangays.

Arcilla’s measure identified six project sites with specific allocations: P15 million each for Barangay Lusaran and Barangay Adlaon, P43 million for Barangay Satuhan covering Sudlon 1 and 2, P30 million for Barangay Tagbao, P22 million for the Pamutan–Sapangdaku corridor, and P35 million for the Pamutan–Cabatbatan corridor.

The total allocation amounts to P160 million, all sourced from the Department of Agriculture.

The resolution was then referred to the Committee on Infrastructure for study and recommendation.

In its report, the committee, chaired by Councilor Edgardo Labella, acknowledged that the MOA had already been reviewed by the City Legal Office for compliance with contract law and public policy.

The committee then endorsed approval of the resolution, thereby authorizing Mayor Archival to sign the MOA, but it also laid down several observations that the council must take into account.

The committee stressed that while DA-RFO 7 will serve as the sole implementing and funding office, the City Government has obligations that must be addressed.

Among these is the requirement to ensure road right-of-way clearance. This comes after the barangay validates that no clearance has been submitted.

The committee also flagged slope stability concerns.

Four of the six project sites, Lusaran, Adlaon, and Satuhan (Sudlon 1 and 2), are upland areas prone to landslides.

It recommended that geohazard and slope stability data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the City Planning Office be incorporated into the Detailed Engineering Design, which DA is mandated to prepare.

Another major observation was the city’s counterpart funding obligation.

While DA funding covers road pavement and drainage, the city must shoulder costs for slope protection, retaining walls, lined canals, guardrails, lighting, and other auxiliary structures. Section 3.14 of the MOA explicitly places these responsibilities on the LGU.

The committee warned that this could translate into substantial, unquantified expenses for the city, given the terrain of the project sites.

The committee further noted that the city will bear indefinite responsibility for routine maintenance after turnover.

This obligation will be monitored by DA through its Infrastructure and Machinery Management Assessment System after the defects liability period.

During deliberations, Councilor Harry Eran clarified that the committee’s report initially did not include an explicit endorsement of the mayor’s authority to sign the MOA, but members agreed to amend the report to affirm approval.

“Our recommendation is to approve the signing of the MOA so that the project will commence, because DA will not download the fund unless the proposed farm-to-market road is authorized,” Eran said.

Labella moved to add a resolving clause explicitly authorizing Mayor Archival to sign the MOA, which was seconded and carried without objection.

Arcilla, who introduced the resolution, reiterated that the projects cover six barangays with specific allocations, stressing that the P160 million funding comes directly from the DA.

Councilor Mikel Rama, chairman of the Committee on Laws of the City Council, noted for the record that the resolution was not referred to his committee, which by protocol should review such agreements.

The Committee on Infrastructure recommended that DA-RFO 7 furnish the Technical Infrastructure Committee with the Detailed Engineering Design, Program of Works, and site inspection results for review.

It also urged the DA to provide itemized estimates of slope protection and auxiliary works chargeable to the city, to aid in budget programming.

With the council’s endorsement, Mayor Archival is now authorized to sign the MOA, paving the way for the release of DA funds and the commencement of construction.

The projects are expected to significantly improve access for farmers in Cebu City’s upland barangays, though the City Government faces substantial counterpart obligations for slope protection and long-term maintenance.