FORMER Cebu City planning chief Joseph Michael Espina is urging Metro Cebu to adopt a watershed-focused development model anchored on three strategies from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) 2015 Metro Cebu Roadmap: dispersal of growth centers, a green belt, and a green loop.
He said the recurring floods and environmental pressures show the limits of piecemeal solutions and require coordinated planning among local government units (LGUs), national agencies, and the private sector — backed by a strong political will.
Espina said new coastal growth hubs from Danao to Carcar would ease congestion in Cebu City and shift development away from vulnerable watersheds. Multinodal development would disperse population and investment, while allowing cities to purchase cheaper relocation land outside urban centers.
Clearing three-meter easements along rivers is essential to fix drainage and flooding. He stressed that this approach needs a modern mass transit backbone, beginning with the proposed MRT from Consolacion to Talisay and future links to Danao and Carcar. While long-term transit is being developed, he recommended P2P e-bus routes along the coast to reduce car dependence.
The green belt strategy focuses on expanding floodplains and restoring forest cover across the Mananga, Butuanon, and Cotcot watersheds. Espina said widening Cansaga River and enforcing upland conservation would help the uplands function as an “absorptive sponge,” preventing floods like those seen during Typhoon Tino. Reverting certain occupied or titled floodplain areas to government use may be necessary.
The green loop proposes a transit-oriented ring connecting Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cordova, with CCLEX as the closing link. Concentrating development along this corridor would protect uplands while improving urban connectivity. Espina said added crossroad links — such as Pit-os to Consolacion or Mandaue — remain feasible, with right-of-way costs still manageable. / EHP