THE need to complete the Metro Cebu Expressway (MCE) is immediate. Traffic along the eastern seaboard of Cebu Island, particularly from the City of Naga in the south to Danao City in the north, has only worsened in the past few years. The project, when announced back in 2018, seemed like a godsend. If completed, it will allow motorists to bypass the coast, where the majority of the metro are huddled together in congested neighborhoods and streets, and head inland to get to their destinations, thereby cutting travel time considerably — at least on paper.
Back then, the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte was rolling out infrastructure projects nationwide as part of its “Build, Build, Build” program. The MCE was part of that, intended to serve as a south-north backbone in Cebu “to improve mobility and economic development in Visayas.”
Well, it has been more than seven years since its groundbreaking, and yet the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has only completed less than five kilometers of the 57-kilometer highway, even after the government released P1.3 billion during a five-year period for its construction.
It may come as a shock to outsiders, but to Filipinos, it’s hardly surprising. It’s a fact that most, if not all, government infrastructure projects implemented by the DPWH are met with cynicism, considering the many anomalies that surround them. It is often the exception rather than the rule when the DPWH implements a project without a hitch from start to finish.
Come to think of it, I can’t think of one off the top of my head. Let me see... nope... nope... nope. I guess I’ll just have to look it up.
According to a July 2022 SunStar Cebu report, the MCE was tagged as one of the priorities of the DPWH under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
A bulletin published on the DPWH website labeled the MCE as No. 4 in the priority list and that it would be placed under public-private partnership (PPP).
Of course, the public didn’t hear much about the project until early 2024 when former governor Gwendolyn Garcia halted construction, citing environmental and safety concerns following landslides in the area in 2023. In August of last year, the Provincial Government took over the project with the proposal to place it under PPP again, raised to fast-track completion.
No doubt the project cost, which has ballooned to P96 billion, according to one report, from the initial P50 billion, is too much of a financial burden even for the “richest” province in the country. And yet, the incumbent governor, Pamela Baricuatro, will not consider it, as bringing in private investment will also mean burdening motorists with tolls.
I see her point.
The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, the country’s longest bridge, may have been built in record time through a PPP, but there have been plans to raise toll rates to recover construction costs. Yes, it can be expensive for motorists who are struggling financially, but at least it’s there. Those who cannot afford its use can always use the first and second bridges for free. Although, to those who are old enough to remember, the first bridge used to charge a toll for several years before this was discontinued.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the MCE can serve as an alternative route for motorists who want to avoid the traffic along the coast, meaning they have a choice. At this point, it doesn’t matter who implements the project, as long as it gets completed sooner rather than later.
Let’s face it, Governor Baricuatro’s plans to get the National Government to help with funding are far-fetched. Cebu, under her, is currently not allied with the Marcos administration. I don’t need to spell out what that means.
But hey, stranger things have happened. Baricuatro is certainly a testament to that. So maybe, and it’s a big maybe, Malacañang will release funds to help restart construction. Or the Capitol can always allocate whatever funds it can muster so the project can proceed. Perhaps a few hundred meters will be completed by the time the next election rolls in.