Archival won't back call to cancel CBRT's SRP component

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mayor Nestor Archival has declined to support the Cebu City Council’s call to reject the South Road Properties (SRP) component of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT), saying the project has already advanced too far to simply remove that section from the national government’s flagship transport program.

Archival said he instead planned to write the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to seek clarification on the project’s implementation rather than push for outright cancellation of the SRP route, as sought by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña and a majority of the City Council.

The mayor’s position places him at odds with a city council resolution adopted last week, which rejected the SRP component of the CBRT. However, the local government ultimately holds limited authority over what is a nationally funded infrastructure project.

Archival also downplayed any suggestion that his differing position could strain his relationship with Osmeña, saying policy disagreements do not automatically translate into personal conflict.

READ: Why Tomas now rejects CBRT’s SRP rollout plan

‘I don’t know how to cancel it’

Asked whether he would support Osmeña’s proposal to remove the SRP component, Archival said he did not see how the city could simply reverse what the DOTr had already approved.

“I don’t know how to cancel it,” he said.

He noted that while several stations had yet to rise, the route itself already formed part of the approved project.

READ: World Bank cuts $85M for Cebu BRT, drops Packages 2 and 3

According to the mayor, project documents he reviewed show that the SRP alignment had already been incorporated into earlier plans, including agreements previously signed by Osmeña when he served as vice mayor.

“Whether you like it or not, it’s there,” he added.

Archival said the issue should focus on the sequence of implementation rather than deleting the SRP segment altogether.

He recalled earlier discussions with DOTr officials, who explained that they prioritized the SRP section because it faced fewer right-of-way obstacles than the Bulacao corridor.

READ: CBRT SRP realignment bucked after heated City Council debate

The agency earlier told City Hall that implementing the SRP segment first would allow the government to complete part of the project before the World Bank loan expired.

Implementation, not cancellation

Instead of asking the DOTr to scrap the SRP route, Archival said he would recommend adjustments that could address concerns raised by Osmeña and members of the City Council.

He said one possible solution involved extending the Phase 1 route beyond SRP toward Mambaling and Bulacao so commuters along the original corridor could also benefit from the initial rollout.

The mayor stressed that the original Bulacao corridor remained part of the long-term CBRT alignment.

READ: Gov’t eyes 9 flagship infra projects done by end 2026

National project

Archival also emphasized that Cebu City did not have the authority to dictate the project’s implementation because the CBRT remained a national government undertaking.

“I don’t have the power because that is not our project, actually. Beneficiary ra man ta (I don’t have the power because that is not our project. We are only beneficiaries),” he said.

He said the city could communicate its position to the DOTr but could not compel the agency to abandon portions of a project already approved by the national government.

Archival likewise questioned the wisdom of rejecting infrastructure that had already secured funding and undergone years of planning.

“Ug i-cancel nato, unsa man? Di nato butangan og bus (If we cancel it, then what? Are we not going to put buses there)?,” he said.

World Bank concerns

The mayor also linked the government’s decision to prioritize implementable sections of the CBRT to the approaching expiration of the World Bank loan.

He said delays forced project managers to pursue portions with fewer right-of-way issues to demonstrate progress before financing deadlines.

Archival maintained that despite the World Bank’s recent decision to cancel $84.9 million in financing, he believes the national government still intends to complete the remaining portions through other funding sources, including a possible public-private partnership.

‘Different ideas, not personal conflict’

Despite taking a different position from Osmeña, Archival dismissed suggestions that the disagreement reflected political friction between City Hall’s two highest elected officials.

He said differing views on public policy naturally arise even among allies.

“Naa man mi kaugalingong ideas. But ideas don’t mean a conflict of personal interest (We each have our own ideas. But different ideas do not mean we have a personal conflict),” he said.

Archival acknowledged that Osmeña views the current implementation as unfair to commuters from Bulacao and Talamban because construction initially favored the SRP corridor.

The mayor, however, said he also understood the DOTr’s position that beginning with the SRP allowed the government to avoid lengthy right-of-way disputes and move the project forward.

“Lain-lain man ta og panan-aw (We simply have different perspectives),” he said.

He added that the government often had to choose the path of least resistance to keep projects moving.

“We’ll just navigate,” Archival said.

Council rejection

Last week, the Cebu City Council adopted Osmeña’s resolution rejecting the SRP component of the CBRT, arguing that the government should instead prioritize the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor that served the city’s largest commuter population.

The DOTr, however, maintained that the SRP extension would not replace the original alignment but would merely expand it, and warned that removing the SRP segment would permanently exclude the district from future CBRT operations while allowing the rest of the project to proceed.

The agency has also maintained that right-of-way constraints and the September 2026 expiration of the World Bank loan forced it to prioritize sections that could realistically be completed within the available timeframe.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.