CBRT SRP realignment bucked after heated City Council debate

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Council on Friday formally rejected the proposed South Road Properties (SRP) realignment of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT).

They are adopting Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s position that the city should preserve the project’s original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor despite government assurances that the SRP extension would not replace it.

The resolution passed after a special session where the Department of Transportation (DOTr) defended the revised alignment and warned that rejecting the SRP component would permanently remove the district from the CBRT network but would not stop the rest of the project from moving forward.

READ: Tomas Osmeña wants Cebu City to reject BRT realignment outright

The council approved the resolution with seven affirmative votes, two against, and four abstentions.

Voting in favor were Osmeña and Councilors Philip Zafra, Paul Labra, Michelle Abella-Celona, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, and Jose Abellanosa.

Councilors Jun Alcover and Harry Eran voted against the resolution, while Majority Floor Leader Dave Tumulak and Councilors Winston Pepito, Mikel Rama, and Nice Archival abstained.

DOTr: Original route remains

Appearing before the council, DOTr Project Implementation Unit engineer Norvin Imbong rejected claims that the agency had abandoned the original Bulacao-to-Talamban alignment.

Tracing the project’s history, Imbong said the original 2014 NEDA-approved alignment covered a 22.96-kilometer route from Bulacao to Talamban. Subsequent reviews expanded the project instead of replacing it.

The latest alignment, approved by the NEDA Board in October 2023, extends the service southward to Talisay City, increasing the network to 35 kilometers with additional stations, terminals, and bus stops.

READ: Pepito pushes SRP BRT, says Cebu can pursue growth and mobility

“The original alignment is there. It’s just a matter of implementation,” Imbong told the council.

He explained that the revised alignment resulted from years of technical studies, updated right-of-way requirements, and approvals secured from the NEDA Board and local government bodies.

Why SRP came first

Council members repeatedly questioned why construction shifted toward the SRP instead of proceeding immediately with the Bulacao section.

Imbong said engineering realities, not policy changes, dictated the sequencing.

He explained that the Bulacao corridor continues to face major right-of-way acquisition challenges, making immediate construction difficult.

“The reason why we have to go to SRP is that there is no right-of-way issue there,” he said.

He noted that the government had transferred ₱460 million to Cebu City for right-of-way acquisition in the F. Vestil area, but many affected properties remain unsettled.

“There are only 52 lots, and until now not even half have been settled or paid. How can we proceed with construction if the right-of-way has not been cleared?” he said.

Imbong added that the government also considered the approaching expiration of its foreign loan.

“We have this loan validity. The loan ends in September 2026, so we are looking at what infrastructure can still be completed before the loan expires,” he said.

Council seeks assurance

Councilor Mikel Rama questioned whether prioritizing the SRP loop would delay or eventually replace the completion of the remaining CBRT packages.

“There is no guarantee that once Package 1 is completed, all the packages will also be completed,” Rama said.

“We need assurance that if we approve the SRP loop, the remaining packages will also move forward.”

Imbong replied that the proposed SRP loop originated from discussions with the World Bank but acknowledged that difficulties in securing approvals have already reduced portions of the proposal.

Asked about the effect of the council’s rejection, Imbong said the consequence would remain limited to the SRP component.

“There will be no more CBRT in the SRP. We can no longer implement anything in the SRP,” he said.

However, he stressed that the rejection would not cancel the entire CBRT project.

“Since the project already has NEDA approval, it will continue,” Imbong said.

He disclosed that after the foreign loan expires in September, the government plans to pursue the remaining components through a public-private partnership (PPP).

Will rejection restore the original route?

Rama also asked whether rejecting the SRP realignment would accelerate the restoration of the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor.

Imbong said the premise itself was incorrect.

“The original alignment is already there. It’s just a matter of implementation,” he said.

He also questioned why the SRP component now faces opposition despite having formed part of previous project approvals.

“If you are calling for the cancellation of the SRP, my question is: Why was it included in the NEDA approval? Why was it already mentioned in the memorandum of agreement signed by then-Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, including six stations in the SRP?” Imbong asked.

Rama responded that while the SRP may have formed part of earlier agreements, the city’s immediate priority should remain the original commuter corridor.

“Even if the SRP formed part of the agreement, this is a matter of prioritization. Why should the SRP come first? That’s the question,” Rama said.

Osmeña stands firm

Throughout the proceedings, Osmeña maintained that the council should reject the realignment outright rather than merely ask the DOTr to reconsider it.

He also questioned the agency’s implementation priorities, arguing that government spending has largely benefited the SRP while little progress has occurred along the original Bulacao-to-Talamban route.

“The DOTr does not have the integrity to tell us what to do,” Osmeña said during the session.

When Tumulak later proposed postponing action to allow councilors more time to study the legal implications, Osmeña refused to withdraw his motion.

“I will not agree unless they agree to a plebiscite,” he said.

After hours of deliberation, the council proceeded to vote, formally adopting Osmeña’s resolution rejecting the proposed SRP realignment while leaving the remainder of the NEDA-approved CBRT project intact.

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