President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (third from left) together with local officials leads the lowering of the time capsule for the Phase 1 of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project in Cebu City today. | PIA-7 photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has reminded the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to ensure that just compensation will be given to the property owners who will be affected by the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
President Marcos also urged the DOTr to find ways to relocate the affected informal settler families properly.
“Kaya Secretary Jaime, kailangan tama ang gawin natin kundi kakatukan tayo ni Governor Gwen at saka ni Mayor Mike,” the President told DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista in jest during his speech at the ceremonial groundbreaking of the long-awaited Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)-Phase One at the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda, in Cebu City, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
(So Secretary Jaime, we need to do this right if not, Governor Gwen and Mayor Mike will knock on our heads.)
Majority of the CBRT-Phase One component will be along the Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City.
The President is in Cebu today for a series of activities, including the CBRT Phase One launching and the groundbreaking for the South Coastal Urban Development Project, among others.
To recall, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in a press conference last week, told reporters that the province has asked the DOTr for a just compensation for the “road lots” that would be affected by the CBRT.
Secretary Bautista, for his part, said those lot owners who would be affected would surely get just compensation, considering the current market values of their properties.
“Lahat ng mga projects ng Department of Transportation that will affect people, specially, the Informal Settlers’ Families, we will see to it that they will get the same convenience when we move them in (an)other place,” he told reporters.
When asked of how many structures and families will be affected, Bautista said they were still “working with it.”
“Kasi (Because) this will be for the Phase 2 and Phase 3 of this BRT system. So, we are still working on that,” he added.
The P16.307 billion CBRT, the first BRT system in the country, is part of the Integrated Transport System introduced by the national government to solve traffic woes here in Metro Cebu.
The Package 1 of the CBRT, with a budget of at least P900 million was awarded to Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd
It includes the construction of 2.38 km Segregated Bus Lane with 4 Bus Stations and 1.15km of Pedestrian Improvement (Link to the Port).
The Phase 2 includes construction of 10.8 km Segregated Bus Lane, with 13 Bus Stations, including 1 Bus Terminal in SRP, 1 Roundabout Facility in IT Park and 1 Depot in SRP.
Phase 3 involves construction of 22.1 km Feeder Route, with 76 Bus Stops including Feeder Terminals in Brgy. Talamban and Talisay City.
Works for the Phase 2 and Phase 3 are still at ongoing detailed engineering design.
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