As public scrutiny over wasteful government spending intensifies, two high-profile projects in Cebu stand out as stark examples of failed initiatives that squandered millions in taxpayer pesos.
Multi-Million Peso Tree Transfer Ends in Failure
The P10 billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, while aiming to modernize transport, came with a significant environmental cost. Officials identified around 2,000 trees along the route for relocation, including more than 200 Indian trees from the center islands of Osmeña Blvd. and Natalio Bacalso Ave.
In 2022, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) allocated P17.5 million to the Cebu City Government specifically for the earth-balling and replanting of these trees. The operation took place from June to August that year, with the trees moved to Block 27 in the North Reclamation Area.
Initially, the transplanted trees appeared to thrive in their new location near the Covid-19 dormitory facilities. However, that success was short-lived. Today, those trees are dead, representing a complete failure of the multi-million peso relocation effort.
The Rapid Deterioration of the Metro Cebu Bike Lane
Another project that met a tragic fate was the Metro Cebu Bike Lane, part of the DOTr's Metropolitan Bike Lane Networks funded under the Bayanihan II Law. Born from the need for alternative transport during the Covid-19 pandemic, the network was inaugurated in July 2021.
The project spanned an impressive 129 kilometers across Cebu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, and Lapu-Lapu City. A symbolic Unity Ride at the South Road Properties (SRP) celebrated the launch of a three-kilometer lane that featured pedestrian sidewalks, solar studs, sheds with bike racks, benches, and plant boxes.
Government press releases touted these features as designed for cyclist safety, but the reality quickly proved otherwise. The plastic bollards in Mandaue City, considered a nuisance by many drivers, were gradually knocked down. The white and green pavement markings and bike symbols have faded beyond recognition.
What remains are mostly unutilized bike racks housed in structures resembling jeepney stops—sad remnants of a project that cost P150 million in Metro Cebu alone, and P1.09 billion nationwide.
A Call for Accountability and Investigation
These projects represent just two entries on what appears to be a long list of failed government endeavors funded by public money. The complete waste of the P17.5 million tree relocation fund and the deterioration of the P150 million bike lane network raise serious questions about project planning, implementation, and oversight.
Authorities face growing calls to thoroughly investigate these wasted projects and hold those responsible accountable. With scarce public funds at stake, taxpayers deserve better than watching their money disappear into failed initiatives that provide no lasting public benefit.
