THE Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will be "put on hold", according to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas.
Jonji Gonzales, chief of staff of Presidential Assistant Michael Dino, quoted Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia as saying the project will be on hold pending the evaluation of the LRT project.
Pernia's change of tune came a few hours after meeting the local press at the launching of the Philippine Development Plan of the Duterte administration at the Cebu Normal University Friday noon, Aug. 4.
Pernia said in jest during the press conference that it will take the "heavens" for the BRT plan to be scrapped or postponed but clarified that it will only be Malacañang that can stop the project.
"As far as the current state of affairs is concerned, it (BRT) is a 'go' unless there is intervention from heaven...from Malacañang," Pernia told media.
Pernia said the BRT is already a mature and ripe project.
Here is the video of the press conference held at the Emma Center of the Cebu state university:
To recall, the proposed BRT project met opposition from the transport sector and Dino, who criticized the BRT as "anti-poor." BRT is a pet project of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who is at odds with Dino.
In the same media gathering, Pernia said he will be meeting Dino later in the afternoon, Friday.
Asked if the meeting with Dino will affect NEDA's go signal for the BRT project, Pernia said "if there are some intervening factor then that will be known later."
Gonzales, in a telephone interview with SunStar Philippines after the Pernia-Dino meeting, said Dino told Pernia that under the proposal, Cebu City will have a subway while the rest of Metro Cebu will have the LRT.
Pernia said if LRT-Subway will be found economically and financially viable, he will push for it, Gonzales said.
Gonzales posted on his Facebook account a photo of Pernia and Dino.
(Vanessa L. Almeda/SunStar Philippines)
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