Council to convene for special session: Osmeña rejects new CBRT route

CEBU, Philippines — A heated debate over Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña's renewed push to reject the proposed realignment of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project has prompted the City Council to convene a special session on Friday, July 3, to deliberate on the controversial proposal.

Osmeña filed an amended resolution, co-authored by Councilor Paul Labra, that shifts the council's position from merely urging the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to reject the proposed realignment to formally declaring Cebu City's outright opposition to it.

“We are not asking the DOTr to reject, we are rejecting. If the city disapproves the realignment, DOTr cannot override it,” Osmeña said.

He accused two giant business companies of having “hijacked the project against the interest of the urban poor.”

“What we are really pushing for is for the government to approve the BRT as it was conceived—for the service of the people in Talamban and Bulacao," Osmeña added.

Osmeña also proposed holding a plebiscite on the issue.

“Let the people of Bulacao and Talamban decide if …is more important than them,” Osmeña stressed.

His resolution argues that the original Bulacao-Talamban corridor was the product of extensive studies and public consultations and was designed to maximize accessibility for densely populated communities. The new proposal is to realignment the BRT route to include SM Seaside at the South Road Properties (SRP) and Ayala.

It further states that the proposed realignment represents a substantial departure from the project's original intent, risks depriving thousands of commuters along the original corridor of its benefits, and undermines the CBRT's commuter-oriented and inclusive purpose.

Osmeña also maintained that the World Bank approved financing for the project based on the original alignment, which was presented as the route that would deliver the greatest public benefit.

Heated debate

Osmeña's proposal triggered a lengthy debate during the council's regular session.

Councilor Jun Alcover moved to remove Osmeña's references to the two private establishments mentioned in the resolution.

Councilor Dave Tumulak reminded the council that Resolution No. 17-3273-2026 had already been approved, urging the Office of the President and the World Bank to reconsider the proposed realignment. He said the new resolution might be redundant but Osmeña disagreed.

“My amendment says that we are rejecting the alignment. We are asserting our authority,” he said.

Temporary presiding officer Councilor Philip Zafra clarified that the resolution's language would be revised to explicitly state that the council "completely rejects" the proposed realignment.

Councilor Winston Pepito, chairman of the committee on transportation, reiterated his support for the original Bulacao-Talamban route but underscored the economic opportunities that could come from extending the system to the SRP.

“This expansion has the potential to generate more investments, create employment opportunities and increase local revenues, ultimately benefiting the people of Cebu.” Pepito stressed.

Councilor Mikel Rama, however, cautioned that rejecting the proposed realignment could further delay the long-awaited transport project.

“Rejecting the realignment will further increase the time before our constituency can benefit from the CBRT project. If we make it contingent upon the restoration of the original route, it will further delay the project. It’s not a choice, it’s a false choice. Choosing one over the other is misleading,” Rama said.

Councilor Sesinio Andales noted that the proposed resolution differs from previous measures because it expresses a stronger and more definitive rejection of the realignment.

“This has already been long delayed…If we reject, we go back to the original plan,” Andales said, adding that previous political decisions, including those made by a former governor, contributed to the project's delays.

Councilor Harry Eran clarified that the proposal does not remove any portion of the original alignment.

“We have nothing to restore considering wa may gi-delete. Naa lay additional alignment. The question is why the original plan was not prioritized?” Eran said.

Councilors Alvin Arcilla and Francis Esparis also argued that the original alignment should be completed first before any expansion or realignment is considered.

Pepito, however, maintained that Package 1 of the original alignment is "readily available" and could be completed sooner.

Special session

Following the lengthy deliberations, Rama proposed holding an executive session to allow officials from the DOTr and other concerned agencies to explain the proposed changes.

Councilor Jose Abellanosa instead suggested a special session, saying an executive session might not attract the attendance of all concerned stakeholders. Osmeña agreed, a position later confirmed by Zafra.

The council has invited representatives from the DOTr, the CBRT Project Management Office, the Office of the Mayor, the Office of the City Administrator, the City Planning and Development Office, the SRP Management Office, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), barangay captains along the affected corridor, and former city planning officer Paul Villarete, who conducted the project's feasibility studies.

First proposed in the 1990s during Osmeña's term as mayor and formally planned in 2010, the CBRT was envisioned as a modern, efficient, and environmentally sustainable mass transport system serving the densely populated Bulacao-Talamban corridor.

The project, funded by the World Bank and the French Development Agency, was designed to prioritize public commuters, particularly those in underserved communities.

Although groundbreaking was finally held in 2023 and partial operations under Package 1 began in March 2026, only limited segments of the system are currently operational, while disagreements over the proposed realignment continue to delay the project's full implementation. — /FPL (FREEMAN)