NEARLY P1 billion has been spent on the 2.38-kilometer Package 1 of the long-delayed Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, with a pilot run set for September 2025.
The money spent on the first package covers dedicated lanes, mixed-traffic lane asphalting, station construction and drainage improvements, according to CBRT manager Norvin Imbong.
It also includes the installation of street and perimeter lights, paver blocks on sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping and a 1.15-kilometer urban realm enhancement from Landbank to Plaza Independencia.
This development followed a coordination meeting with Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, where Cebu officials agreed to launch a pilot test of at least 20 Cibus units, the official bus provider, in the first week of September. Cibus is short for Cebu Interim Bus Service — a modern, air-conditioned trunk bus service launched on March 16, 2020 to improve Cebu City’s public transport, especially while the CBRT system is still being built.
Dizon said Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Gov. Pamela Baricuatro pushed for the start of operations for Package 1.
“I already instructed the contractor and the bus operator that by September we have to start running the buses here so that the people of Cebu can already start enjoying at least (Package 1),” he said.
The current target of completing the first package is Aug. 11.
Imbong said that ahead of the pilot test, a technical working group is being formed.
The pilot testing of Package 1, which runs from the Cebu South Bus Terminal on N. Bacalso Ave. to the front of the Capitol building along Osmeña Blvd., is expected to last one to two months.
However, Dizon said there will not be a station at the Capitol initially, as provincial and city officials still need to finalize its design and location. The pilot test will proceed while awaiting a final decision.
According to Imbong, Cibus units will follow the planned route, running from SM Seaside City at the South Road Properties to Cebu IT Park in Barangay Apas. The units will pass through Package 1 bus stops at Cebu South Bus Terminal, Cebu Normal University and Fuente Osmeña Rotunda.
Imbong said the Cibus units will operate in mixed traffic after the buses go beyond the Package 1 route.
Fast-tracking delayed project
According to Dizon, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sent him to fast-track the delayed CBRT project and ordered its prompt completion.
The project is part of Marcos’ flagship initiative, aimed at delivering accessible, efficient and reliable public transportation across Cebu.
The system is designed to enhance urban mobility through a 22.1-kilometer feeder line with 76 strategically placed bus stops, covering key areas in cities of Cebu and Talisay.
Originally approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (now Department of Economy, Planning and Development) on May 29, 2014, the project experienced significant delays before officially breaking ground on Feb. 27, 2023.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Marcos, with Package 1 awarded to a Chinese company, Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd.
Its completion was initially targeted for late 2023 but was postponed to the first quarter of 2024.
The Department of Transportation originally set 2025 as the completion year for the entire CBRT project, but this was adjusted to 2027 due to design modifications.
In light of delays, a public-private partnership proposal has emerged as an alternative solution. This comes after the World Bank, which committed a $141 million loan to the project, warned that continued delays have put the project at risk of failure.
The World Bank also said its funding commitment is set to expire in 2026.
Dizon said Package 1 is 95 percent complete, while the whole CBRT project, including Packages 2 and 3, is slated for completion before 2028.
According to Imbong, Packages 2 and 3 are still up for procurement. /DPC