MANILA (Updated) -- The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) Cabinet Committee approved the request for additional budget for Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project during their meeting Friday afternoon, August 11.
The project will again be submitted to Neda Board for final approval.
The approval came a day after Department of Transportation, implementing agency of the project, announced that it was putting it on hold.
The BRT's project cost has been increased to P16.9 billion from P10.6 billion because of a new road-right-of-way acquisition policy requiring the government to offer market values for affected properties.
The project is envisioned to be a 23-kilometer BRT corridor (Bulacao-Ayala-Talamban) with segregated busways from Bulacao to Ayala and a link to Cebu's South Road Property.
Big-ticket public projects like BRT are evaluated by Neda-ICC Technical Board and approved next by Neda ICC Cabinet Committee. The final decision whether it will be approved will come from Neda Board.
The ICC Cab-Com is consists of nine Cabinet members while the Neda Board is composed of 22 members, including President Rodrigo Duterte and Pernia serving as chairperson and vice chairperson, respectively. (RVC/MVI/RAG/SunStar Philippines)
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More details to follow.