Linette C. Ramosa with Elisabeth P. Baumgart

MAYOR Tomas Osmeña’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for Cebu City got a boost yesterday when no less than President Arroyo endorsed it and gave a go signal for the project to proceed.

Like Osmeña, Arroyo is excited about the BRT for Cebu City and other cities in Metro Cebu, and has asked Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Undersecretary Ann Lontoc to help the City Government with the requirements for its implementation.

The proposed BRT, the mayor’s health condition and other assistance to the City were among the topics discussed during the President’s 20-minute private visit at Osmeña’s house.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who also met Arroyo in another activity yesterday, said he is also praying for the mayor, who is undergoing treatment for urinary bladder cancer.

Osmeña, his wife Margot, City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem and other city officials welcomed Arroyo and Press Secretary Cerge Ramonde at his house on Quijada St. in Barangay Guadalupe at around 2:10 p.m. yesterday.

Local politics or anything in reference to the May 2010 elections were not discussed, officials who were present during the meeting said.

“The visit was okay. Nothing much was discussed, just the endorsement of the BRT, just to push the DOTC to assist us because they’re supposed to fund the grant or something like that to do the feasibility study,” Osmeña told reporters after the President left his house.

While at the mayor’s house, Arroyo called Lontoc to ask about the feasibility study, and was told that the public bidding for it
has already been scheduled.

Osmeña first proposed the BRT towards the end of his first term as mayor in the early 1990s, but official discussions with foreign funding agencies and the former mayor of Bogota, Colombia did not begin until early 2008.

Go for it

“She (Arroyo) gave the go signal. She had to be briefed a little bit on what it is all about and she’s supporting it. The BRT is necessary for the future, we can’t continue the way it is right now. We can’t widen our roads because no matter how much money we have, we just don’t have enough,” said Osmeña.

The BRT, he said, would be an ideal solution for the traffic congestion in the city since it would encourage more private vehicle owners to take the BRT instead.

In an interview after Arroyo left, Jakosalem said the President is supportive of the project and has expressed excitement over the BRT in Cebu, which will be the first in the country.

“She lit up when they told her that it will be the showcase in the Philippines because even Manila doesn’t have a BRT yet,”
he said.

The BRT system will be adopted in the city’s main thoroughfares as one approach to solving traffic, since it is seen to decrease the number of vehicles by increasing the number of passengers per vehicle.

How it works

It works like the train system but uses buses instead of train coaches and bus lanes instead of train tracks. The buses are stairless and passengers pay at the specially designed bus stops. It is also cheaper to operate.

Osmeña said that after his operation in April, he will go to Bogota to check developments in its BRT system.

The BRT is also the public transport system that will be set up in the 302-hectare South Road Properties.

Arroyo visited the Osmeñas to personally check on the mayor’s health condition amid his battle with cancer.

Jakosalem, who was present during the visit, said that Arroyo was concerned about the mayor’s health, and listened when the mayor explained his illness.

Security outside the mayor’s house was tight even before Arroyo’s convoy arrived. At least 30 personnel from the
Presidential Security Group and the Guadalupe Police Station were stationed in the area.

Security

A chopper was also hovering above the house for the entire duration of the visit of the President, who was accompanied by Remonde, Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district) and Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Felix Guanzon.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama was a no-show at the mayor’s house, although he said that he wanted to be there yesterday.

“I think there was a miscommunication because Bimbo (City Administrator Fernandez) and I agreed that I will be there but I was told by (Arroyo’s personal assistant) Ms. Fostrum that I’m not included in the list, when I asked if pwede ba ko musakay nila. Anyway, I did not insist because we all know the protocol... So I just called Margot and explained that I wanted to be there but there seemed to be a mix-up,” Rama told Sun.Star Cebu.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Vidal said he is happy to see that Osmeña is still in good health and is back in the city.

“I will pray for him and for his health,” he told reporters yesterday.

However, he has one advice for Osmeña: not to get too excited.

“I hope he will not always get excited. When you get excited your defenses are down,” he said.

History

Vidal also hopes that the mayor will take things easy during his stay.

While Vidal would have wanted to visit the mayor, he said that he couldn’t because he knew that Osmeña’s immune system was down and he was more prone to catching other ailments.

Vidal also arrived yesterday at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral using a cane.

“It is because of my gout,” Vidal, who is also suffering from osteoporosis, said.

Vidal still walked with President Arroyo from the Cebu Caritas Inc. to the newly renovated plaza of the Cathedral.

Vidal and Arroyo formally opened the plaza to the public.

“This is more than just an open space, this plaza is a witness to history and a classroom to faith,” said Vidal.