Truck ban lifted, jeepney routes resume amid heritage tour of APEC ministers
APEC SELFIE. Official of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members economies, including the Philippines, pose with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario, (center, front row) for a selfie at the Radisson Blu Cebu garden. The officials (from left to right from row) are Quynh Mai Pham, Vietnam; Paulina Nazal, Chile; Susan Gregson, Canada; Raul Salazar-Cosio; Tan Jian, China; Alison Mann, New Zealand and Datin Che Mazni Che Wook, Malaysia. (From left to right, second row) Carlos Penira, Mexico; Dato Paduka Jock Hoi Lim, Brunie; Pei Hyung Hsu, Chinese Tapei; Ivan Pomeleufo, Philippines (Department of Trade and Industry); Benyamin Camadi, Indonesia; Mak Ching Yu, Hong Kong; and Chutintorn Sam Gongsakdi, Thailand. (From left to righ last row) Toshiyuki Sakamoto, Japan (Minisstry of Economy, Trade and Industry); Ark-Boon Lee, Singapore; Matthew John Matthews, US; Alan Bollard, APEC Secretariat; Valery Sorokin, Russia; Taeho Lee, Korea; and Brendan, Berne, Australia. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Motorists and commuters in Cebu City are advised to brace for heavy traffic this morning.
Another batch of ministers attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings will tour for
an hour the different heritage sites in Cebu City starting at 9 a.m., said Jonathan Tumulak, operations
chief of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).
Tumulak said the problem lies in their pullout of traffic enforcers deployed in intersections along the
APEC ceremonial route.
Tumulak said they will also lift the day-long truck ban along the Pope John Paul II Ave. (formerly J.
Luna Ave.), Salinas Drive and the Veteran’s Drive leading to Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
Not informed
Passenger jeepneys will also be allowed to pass through Pope John Paul II Ave. starting today.
“We’re expecting heavy traffic (today) during their tour. Aside from the fact that it’s a Monday, we
will also pull out our enforcers,” Tumulak said.
He said he just knew about the city tour for the ministers during yesterday’s meeting at the Joint
Tactical Operations Center based in Parklane Hotel. Tumulak said they were not informed beforehand.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine
National Police (PNP).
Tumulak said the DOT and PNP also didn’t know that CCTO will pull out its personnel and lift the truck
ban today.
Manage traffic
But Tumulak said PNP officials assured them that their personnel will help conduct traffic along the
streets.
“We will also just manage traffic as much as our available personnel can do. The PNP assured us that
they will also deploy personnel on behalf of the enforcers,” Tumulak said.
The ministers will visit the Basilica del Santo Niño, Magellan’s Cross, Fort San Pedro and Parian.
They will pass by Colon Street, Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu Provincial Capitol, Escario Street, JY Square and
Cebu IT Park.
They will also visit the soon-to-open SM Seaside City Complex in the South Road Properties (SRP).
Leave of absence
Between 130 and 150 traffic personnel were deployed along the APEC ceremonial routes during the Third
APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings from Aug. 22 to Sept. 6.
All CCTO employees were not allowed to make absences, take days off and leaves.
This is why some personnel scheduled their leaves of absence starting today.
Tumulak said though that CCTO personnel assigned at the Radisson Blu will still be on duty since there
are still meetings there.
There are no more meetings in the three other hotels: Cebu City Marriott Hotel, Waterfront Cebu City
Hotel and Casino and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
Unprepared
Based on a previous memorandum issued by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, the 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. truck ban
along Pope John Paul II Ave. and Salinas Drive will only be enforced from August 22 to September 5.
But Tumulak clarified that the existing truck ban that is covered by a city ordinance will still be in
effect.
The truck ban covers the period from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It covers the areas
covered by the APEC ceremonial route, excluding S. Osmeña Road.
The passenger jeepney rerouting imposed on those who pass along Pope John Paul II Ave. and around SM
City Cebu will be lifted already.
Jeepney passengers were caught unprepared when CCTO implemented the rerouting a couple of days before
the SOM3 meetings started to make it easier for delegates to move from one meeting venue to another.
Traffic flow
Since most meetings will now be held in Lapu-Lapu City, the traffic situation is expected to return to
normal.
But Tumulak said the changes have been helpful for CCTO in efficiently managing traffic flow.
“For our overall assessment, we can consider that the changes made were manageable,” he said.
Tumulak said the start of APEC meetings last August 22 also acted as CCTO’s dry run for the
International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) to be held in Cebu City in January next year.
Assessment
Traffic is a major concern for the IEC since the event will be attended by 15,000 delegates.
Most of the activities will be held in the IEC Pavilion, which is located in the busy street of Pope
John Paul II Ave.
He said since part of the APEC ceremonial route involves the same areas as the IEC, the CCTO has
conducted documentations, studies and kept record of their assessments during APEC.
Tumulak said some of the changes made during APEC can also be implemented for IEC.