THE Regional Development Council has pushed for the inclusion of eight infrastructure projects in Central Visayas, including the 4th Mandaue-Mactan Bridge project and Metro Cebu Expressway project, in its 2024 budget proposal of over P10 billion.
The Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) of the RDC 7, chaired by Kenneth Cobonpue, presented and endorsed these programs and programs (PAPs) to the members of the Full Council during the First Quarter Full Council Meeting at Quest Hotel and Conference Center in Cebu City last Thursday, March 16, 2023.
These Infrastructure PAPs are to be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 7, Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and are already stipulated in the Central Visayas Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP).
The IDC endorsed the inclusion in the 2024 budget of the 4th Mandaue-Mactan Bridge project with a P2.5 billion proposed budget and Metro Cebu Expressway (Segment 3) project with a budget proposal of P10 million for next year.
The P10 million budget proposed for the Metro Cebu Expressway pales in comparison to the average of P260 million that the National Government released per year to fund the project between 2017 and 2021.
The completion of the 73-kilometer alternative north-south highway for Cebu bypassing the coastal areas has been held up by the slow release of funds from the National Government, prompting then DPWH 7 director Edgar Tabacon last year to suggest that the project be funded through overseas development assistance or public-private partnership (PPP) instead.
For Bohol, the IDC endorsed five PAPs: the Restructuring of the Malinao Dam Improvement Project (P150 million), the Panglao Island-Tagbilaran City Bridge Offshore Connector Project (P3.5 billion), Bonot-Bonot Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (P52.59 million), Hibale Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (P478.18 million) and the Catungawan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (P5 million).
Cobonpue has also endorsed the New Dumaguete Airport Development Project to be constructed in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental with a P4.189 billion budget proposal for 2024.
RDC 7 Chairman and Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado approved the endorsement of these projects for inclusion in the agencies’ respective Central Offices’ 2024 budget proposals.
Priority
Earlier this month, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) approved the Metro Cebu Expressway and the 4th Mandaue-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road Construction Project of the DPWH among the 194 priority infrastructure projects of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Metro Cebu Expressway is indicated in this priority list as having the National Government and PPP as a funding source.
Construction of this expressway began five years ago.
The project, which has a total budget of P28 billion, aims to cut the travel time from Naga to Danao from three hours to one hour. The project has been divided into three segments.
However due to the slow release of funds from the National Government, only five of the 17.15 kilometers that make up Segment 3 of the project from Naga City to Talisay City had been built as of November 2022.
Work on Segments 1 and 2 that span 57 kilometers from Danao City to Talisay City has not started due to the lack of funds.
Last May, Tabacon said the government had released only P1.3 billion between 2017 and 2021 for the project, not enough to complete Segment 3 alone, which is expected to cost P4.5 billion.
The Manny Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. has expressed interest in getting involved in the construction of the Metro Cebu Expressway.