CEBU City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña has raised serious concerns over the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, calling out poor planning, possible corruption and questionable design changes that he says no longer serve the people of Cebu.
Osmeña, who originally proposed the Cebu BRT more than a decade ago, criticized the rerouting of the system toward major malls such as SM Seaside City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu, instead of covering residential areas like Bulacao-Pardo and Talamban.
“No one lives in SM or Ayala,” Osmeña said in a media briefing on Thursday, July 3. “The original BRT was designed to serve people, not businesses.”
The vice mayor aired similar complaint in January 2024.
He also questioned the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) proposal to shift the CBRT to a public-private partnership (PPP) model, warning that it may not attract investors.
“Investors will only come if they can profit. Good luck with that,” Osmeña said.
The PPP plan surfaced after the World Bank announced its $141 million loan for the CBRT would expire by 2026. In a report released July 1, the World Bank said continued delays and slow progress have placed the project at risk of failure.
The French Development Agency is also co-financing the project.
The CBRT project officially broke ground on Feb. 27, 2023, led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The first construction package, handled by Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd., spans 2.38 kilometers and includes four BRT stations. The route runs from the Cebu South Bus Terminal on N. Bacalso Ave. to the front of the Provincial Capitol along Osmeña Blvd.
Despite the long delay, Osmeña said the current civil works lack core BRT design features.
“Typical BRTs have central-lane stations with overhead pedestrian access. They’re built to be accessible for all, including the elderly and children,” he said.
He also criticized the DOTr’s plan to extend the pedestrian lane to the Cebu Port, calling it wasteful.
Osmeña further questioned the role of furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue in designing the BRT stations, suggesting a potential conflict of interest.
He said Cobonpue serves as a chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Central Visayas, raising concerns on “conflict
of interest.”
“I’d like to investigate how he got that contract,” he said.
The current chairman of RDC Central Visayas is Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, who replaced Cobonpue in 2022.
Osmeña reiterated his preference for the BRT system over the proposed monorail, calling the BRT “more flexible, less expensive, and better suited to Cebu’s needs.” / EHP