Cebu's Infrastructure Ambitions: Subway Plans Emerge Amid Stalled Projects
The Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has been conducting evaluations since 2025 on alignments and soil stability for a proposed subway system in Cebu. According to current engineering assessments, Cebu's geographical and soil conditions appear conducive to such an ambitious underground transportation network.
The Metro Cebu Expressway: A Troubled Legacy
This subway proposal arrives against a backdrop of mixed results in Cebu's infrastructure development. The Philippine government has consistently focused on addressing Metro Cebu's worsening traffic congestion over the past decade. One prominent initiative was the Metro Cebu Expressway, a 56.9-kilometer road network designed to connect Naga City in the south to Danao City in the north while bypassing coastal areas.
Construction began in 2018 with a 4.55-kilometer segment from Naga to Minglanilla. However, this initial section remains incomplete to this day. The Department of Public Works and Highways proceeded with the project despite unresolved right-of-way issues, and complications escalated when a 360-meter portion in Naga collapsed due to landslides in late 2023.
The project was eventually removed from the National Government's Priority Infrastructure Flagships Programs. Governor Pamela Baricuatro formally offered to lead implementation through a public-private partnership model in October 2025, but no private partners have emerged since then. At the current pace of progress, some observers estimate it could take over a century to complete the entire expressway if relying solely on government resources.
The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit: Completed but Unused
Another transportation project facing challenges is the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system, originally conceptualized in the 1990s. The groundbreaking for Package 1 finally occurred in February 2023, covering a 2.38-kilometer route from the Cebu South Bus Terminal along N. Bacalso Avenue to the Provincial Capitol at Osmeña Boulevard's end.
Remarkably, the infrastructure for this segment is essentially complete. Three futuristic bus stops have been standing for some time, though a fourth stop in front of the Capitol building was dismantled for violating heritage laws. The completion of approximately one kilometer of infrastructure within just over a year represents significant progress compared to other projects.
Yet these bus stops now gather dust. While initial test runs and operations occurred late last year, public attention shifted to recovery efforts following Typhoon Tino's devastation, leaving the completed infrastructure largely unused.
The Proposed Subway: Ambitious Vision Meets Practical Realities
Against this complex backdrop emerges the proposed Metro Cebu Subway system, envisioned as a 65-kilometer underground railway connecting Carcar City in the south to Danao in the north. The sheer scale of this project makes previous infrastructure efforts seem modest by comparison.
While soil and geographical assessments appear favorable, the real challenges lie in funding, implementation, and learning from previous projects' shortcomings. The subway proposal represents both tremendous opportunity and significant risk, given Cebu's history of ambitious transportation projects facing execution hurdles.
As evaluations continue, stakeholders must consider not only technical feasibility but also practical lessons from the Metro Cebu Expressway's stalled progress and the Bus Rapid Transit's operational challenges. The success of any future subway system will depend on addressing these historical implementation issues while navigating Cebu's unique urban and environmental constraints.
