BRT challenge to highlight SOCA

A simple State of the City Address (SOCA) will be delivered by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña during the inaugural session of the City Council on July 3.

Osmeña said one of the things he wanted to share to the public is the city government's continuing fight to keep the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

“No bagyong Ruping. No terrorist guys. Absence of disaster. Absence of calamity is a very big accomplishment. And we're still fighting for the BRT,” the mayor told reporters when asked of his second year accomplishments since the 2016 elections.

Osmeña said the city government has not won the BRT fight yet since the Department of Transportation, which moved for the cancellation of BRT, was given until Friday to submit more robust evidence that can support the cancellation of the project.

It was in April when DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade and Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino asked the National Economic Development AuthorityInvestment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee to cancel the BRT project because of city's narrow roads, among other reasons.

Also, DOTr was instructed to procure the Technical Support Consultant or an independent third party that will review the technical design requirements of the BRT. DOTr was also instructed to submit to the ICC an alternative proposal that should prove to be superior compared to the BRT project as a short-term solution to the traffic problem in the city.

Aside from BRT, Osmeña said his agenda is to get the Association of Barangay Councils presidency who will sit as ex-officio member of the City Council to advance his projects. One of the projects that he wants to be implemented is the P18 billion integrated resort and casino on what used to be the city's Kawit Island at the South Road Properties.

The project was rejected last month by the City Council, which is dominated by the opposition. Osmeña said he will push through with his plan to revive the project that will be undertaken by Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. as soon as he gets the majority of the City Council.

“I want the Kawit Island project to push through because that will give immediate employment to the people of Cebu,” he said.

Osmeña said he will not disclose other projects that he wants to implement in the city because there will be people who will block it. But assured that he will be more transparent with his projects.