CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — The Cebu City Council has urged the Office of the President and the World Bank to review and reconsider the current route of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, calling it a “significant departure” from the system’s original purpose and a setback to its ability to serve commuters effectively.
In a resolution authored by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the council pressed for the restoration of the BRT’s original alignment, from South Bulacao to North Talamban, designed to serve densely populated residential communities, particularly the urban poor.
The resolution “respectfully yet firmly” calls on national and international stakeholders to “immediately review and reconsider the present realignment” and restore the original route in line with the project’s goal of delivering accessible, efficient, and inclusive public transportation.
Osmeña, who first proposed the BRT system in the 1990s, has consistently opposed the rerouting of the project toward commercial hubs such as SM Seaside City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu.
“No one lives in SM or Ayala. The original BRT was designed to serve people, not businesses,” Osmeña said in earlier council sessions.
He also described the current alignment through the South Road Properties (SRP) as “a betrayal of the people of Cebu,” lamenting the absence of key segments in Talamban and Bulacao.
The BRT was envisioned as a modern, efficient, and environmentally sustainable transport system, modeled after Curitiba’s pioneering bus rapid transit network in Brazil.
Formal planning began in 2010, and by 2011 to 2012, the City Council had adopted phased development plans and imposed a moratorium along the original corridor to protect the project’s integrity.
However, subsequent route changes shifted the alignment toward business districts, contributing to delays, rising costs, and waning public confidence.
The World Bank, which approved financing for the project in 2014, has repeatedly raised concerns over its slow implementation. Only a portion of the infrastructure has been completed, resulting in the cancellation of unused loan funds.
In late 2025, the bank suspended funding for subsequent phases due to unsatisfactory progress.
Introductory operations, launched in March 2026, currently run from the SRP to Cebu IT Park. While this improves connectivity between major business hubs, critics argue it falls short of addressing the daily commuting needs of ordinary Cebuanos.
Further concerns have emerged over the decision by the Department of Transportation and the city government to allow public utility vehicles to use the BRT lane, blurring the distinction between a dedicated rapid transit system and regular traffic.
The council’s resolution stressed that the shift to a route linking SM Seaside and Ayala “in favor of clearly vested interests” undermines the project’s intent and limits its benefits, particularly for marginalized commuters.
The measure serves both as a reaffirmation of Osmeña’s long-standing advocacy and a direct appeal to authorities to realign the project with its original vision.
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/FPL
