Metro Cebu board submits P5.2B worth of projects for 2014 to DPWH

THE Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) yesterday approved 29 projects that are projected to cost more than P5.2 billion.

The projects were submitted to Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson as priority for 2014.

The MCDCB grouped them into first, second and third priority programs.

The board identified five projects for “immediate” implementation. These are the 18-kilometer circumferential road connecting Barangays Pardo and Talamban, Cebu City; the repair and widening of the 2.2-kilometer H. Cortes Street and H. Cortes Extension, all in Mandaue City; the widening and concreting of the six-kilometer Tayud-Consolacion-Liloan road; and the Metro Cebu drainage project.

The MCDCB also classified six projects as second priority and 18 more projects as third priority.

Budget

Singson earlier advised the MCDCB to submit the final list of projects not later than this month so that these can be included in his department’s budget.

In the same meeting, the local government executives, National Government officials and business leaders who sit in the MCDCB signed a covenant supporting the Mega Cebu 2050 sustainable urban development vision.

The Mega Cebu vision aims to address trans-boundary issues, like drainage and traffic management, which plague Metro Cebu and local government units up to Carcar City in the south and Danao City in the north.

Among those who signed the covenant were Mayors Paz Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City, Teresa Alegado of Consolacion and Adelino Sitoy of Cordova, as well as Compostela Vice Mayor
Josephine Abing.

The MCDCB is chaired by Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale and co-chaired by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and businessman Roberto Aboitiz.

The board approved a proposal to have the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, National Youth Commission, Cebu Port Authority and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District represented in the MCDCB.

During the meeting, Alegado asked Magpale and Rama to direct their legislative councils to pass ordinances regulating parking on major thoroughfares.

Department of Public Works and Highways 7 Director Ador Canlas said the government spent millions to widen roads yet traffic problems still exist because the outer lanes of these roads are used as parking spaces.