WHEN the Metro Cebu Expressway was announced in 2018, it was pitched as a modern highway that would cut travel time across Cebu by linking Naga City in the south to Danao City in the north. Seven years later, it remains unfinished, its future uncertain.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has made completing the expressway one of her priorities. But she says the P95.94 billion price tag is far beyond what Cebu Province can afford, and she plans to ask the National Government for
financial support.
“This is a national project, this is not a project of the Province,” she told reporters on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.
Big question
Why is the expressway delayed, and what will it take to finish it?
How we got here
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) started the project seven years ago, envisioning a 74-kilometer road to ease congestion on Cebu’s coastal highway.
Progress was slow from the beginning. Land acquisition problems halted work in 2020.
A major landslide in Naga City in 2023 damaged part of the route. By early 2024, then-governor Gwendolyn Garcia paused construction over environmental and safety concerns.
In August 2024, responsibility for the project shifted from DPWH to the Provincial Government. Spanish firm Acciona was tapped to study whether the road was still viable. A year later, Baricuatro announced that national funding was needed to move forward.
What’s standing in the way
The biggest hurdle is money. At nearly P96 billion, the cost is too high for the province alone. Baricuatro has resisted relying on a public-private partnership, which could bring in private investment but would also mean toll fees for motorists.
“It would be much better if there were a budget for this,” she said.
Engineering flaws and safety risks add to the challenge. Mountain slopes along the route make construction difficult, and the 2023 landslide showed just how vulnerable the project is to environmental hazards.
Why it still matters
If completed, the Metro Cebu Expressway could transform travel across the island. Motorists would gain a faster, alternative highway, businesses would move goods more efficiently, and city centers could finally see relief from chronic traffic jams.
What happens next
The project will need to be re-bid once funding is secured. If the national government steps in, work could resume without tolls. If Cebu turns to private partners, motorists will likely have to pay for the convenience.
For now, commuters are left waiting for a road that was supposed to be changing their daily drives. / CDF