The World Bank has decided to withdraw its support from the remaining phases of Cebu's Bus Rapid Transit system, delivering a significant blow to the long-awaited public transport project at a critical moment.
A Project Long in the Making
This disappointment comes when continued backing was most crucial for the pioneering high-capacity transport initiative. Many believed the BRT would finally accelerate after opponents from the previous administration lost power.
The BRT had secured World Bank funding support since 2014, but faced cancellation in 2018 under the Duterte administration. Former Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and former presidential assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino argued against implementing the BRT in Cebu City, citing narrow roads.
The Competing Vision That Never Materialized
Instead of the BRT, Tugade and Dino championed an Integrated Inter-Modal Transport System for Cebu. Their grand proposal included a Light Railway Transit system, a point-to-point bus system, a Lapu-Lapu City monorail, and an Intelligent Transportation system.
The LRT was envisioned as the main backbone of Cebu's public mass transportation. Reports indicated a Singaporean-Chinese and Filipino consortium proposed building a US$3-billion LRT system with a subway component in Cebu City and above-ground sections from Talisay to Carcar and Mandaue to Danao.
An author connected with a DOTr office and serving on the Regional Development Council's Infrastructure Committee at the time expressed skepticism. Many proposals lacked supporting feasibility studies and contradicted existing data, yet local governments embraced these ambitious plans hoping for quick implementation under the "Build, Build, Build" program.
Seven Years Later: Empty Promises and One Remaining Hope
Now, seven years after these bold proposals, no LRT, subways, or above-ground rails have materialized. The only surviving project is the BRT-Phase 1, approved by the World Bank before the Duterte administration.
The blocking of the BRT's final two phases appears to be the only transportation success Tugade and Dino achieved for Cebu. The completed BRT now represents a leadership test for Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
If their ability to navigate political challenges indicates their capacity to overcome this latest obstacle, the future of Cebu's mass transportation might not be entirely bleak.
