CEBU City and transportation officials clarified that the June 30, 2025 deadline for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project’s Package 1 was not final and was due to a “miscommunication.”
During a coordination meeting on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Mayor Nestor Archival said adjustments are being made in response to concerns about the low sidewalk plant boxes along the CBRT route. This could cause water and soil to spill onto the sidewalks when it rains, he said.
“I was the one pushing very hard to complete that by June 30. There was a miscommunication (about the deadline) during the walkthrough with the engineering and public services departments,” Archival said.
The current target of completing the first package is Aug. 11. The deadline has been moved multiple times.
A June 6 report from SunStar Cebu showed that Archival, then a mayor-elect, had already raised doubts about the contractor’s ability to meet the June 30 target for Package 1 of the project. He said delays were evident during his inspection, especially on unfinished sidewalks due to a lack of manpower.
Archival said the enclosures need to be higher to prevent flooding and improve walkability. He added that some areas could also be used as pocket parks.
Agreement
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said there was an agreement to increase the height of the plant boxes and that the contractor would proceed accordingly. He said cost adjustments would be monitored.
CBRT project manager Norvin Imbong said legal hurdles, such as the demolition of two skywalks along Osmeña Blvd. that took nearly a year due to ownership issues, contributed to the delay. He said variation orders, extra work and drainage installation were also factors.
Imbong said improved drainage is being provided on both sides of the road in one stretch of the project. He acknowledged the issue with the low plant boxes and said adjustments are already being implemented. Some enclosures have been raised, but Imbong said the mayor wants them higher so they can be used for seating.
The 2.38-kilometer stretch from Cebu South Bus Terminal to the Capitol building is part of Package 1, which has missed multiple deadlines since its original 2023 target. Delays in 2024 were also caused by a suspension of works near the Capitol after a heritage protection order from the Provincial Government during the time of then-Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. / CDF