Cebu City to hold first Mobility Summit on Sept. 26-27

Atty. Kent Jongoy (center), from the office of Councilor James Cuenco, said, in a press conference on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, that it was two months ago that they officially convened the technical working group for the Cebu City Mobility Summit.| Photo by Wenilyn Sabalo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 80 representatives from different local government units (LGUs) in Cebu, regional government agencies, the private sector, and transportation groups are expected to converge during the two-day Cebu City Mobility Summit on September 26 and 27, 2022.

The Cebu City Mobility Summit, the first in the city, would be an avenue to present and discuss the current transportation situation of Cebu City, and the traffic management done by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).

It will also highlight updates on some of the road infrastructure projects that are on the way, including the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit and the Cebu Monorail Project, both spearheaded by the Department of Transportation.

Among the participating LGUs are Lapu Lapu, Mandaue, Talisay, and the town of Cordova.

Lawyer Kent Jongoy, of the office of Councilor Cuenco, in a press conference on Friday, told reporters that the city aims to adopt best practices of advanced countries, in terms of public transportation, in a way that makes them “applicable” here in Cebu City.

Jongoy said that in the conceptualization of this mobility summit, they tried to look up many best practices of first-world countries like the United Kingdom and Singapore.

“The best thing that we would like to see is how these innovations and modernizations in the field of transportation, mostly in public transportation can be applied here in Cebu City, considering that kung wala ning modernized jeepney, murag dili man ta modernized,” he added.

Another important topic to be discussed, Jongoy added, is the introduction of the proposed Aerial Ropeway Transit (ART) System for Cebu City.

“Most of the people are going towards the highlands, so it is a very good development if we will have cable cars going up,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) plans to give updates on the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program in the region.

The summit next week is sponsored by the United Kingdom Embassy, which is also set to provide a keynote speech on Monday. Its second day, on Tuesday, will be intended for various workshops and plenary discussions.

Paul Gotiong, the executive director of the Cebu City Transportation Office, said they hope that after the summit, the participants can come up with good output and solutions for the city’s traffic situation.

Likewise, Architect Anne Marie Cuizon, assistant head at the Cebu City Planning and Development Office, said the city aims to not just improve the traffic situation here, but to also change the mindset of the Cebuano community about mobility, and what a progressive city really is.

“A big part of it is its people, than the cars. So, we hope that in the years to come, Cebu City is really successful because of our endeavors such as this,” she said.   /rcg

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