City approves P6B projects
Cebu City can expect a deluge of projects once close to P6 billion worth of proposals from the city’s development body will be greenlighted by the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas.
The projects, mostly involving pre-construction phases, were approved in a full-council meeting of the Cebu City Development Council (CCDC) yesterday.
Engr. Oscar Abordo, assistant department head at the City Planning Development Office (CPDO), told The FREEMAN that the meeting was attended by officials of agencies like Department of Public Works and Highways-7, Department of Health-7, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and National Irrigation Administration-7.
CPDO is the technical arm of the CCDC.
“The line agencies asked endorsement from CCDC so that the projects will be endorsed to the RDC. Then the RDC will evaluate the projects that will be endorsed to the national government for appropriations in 2020,” he said.
Bulk of the P6 billion comes from the proposal of the DPWH7, which plans to implement over P4.77 billion in projects in Cebu City next year.
In the proposal, DPWH-7 hopes to conduct feasibility study, worth P165.7 million, for the construction of Mambaling South Boulevard to Cebu South Coastal Road Extension.
It also seeks P290 million for the detailed engineering design of an underpass, a skyway, and a flyover.
The underpass is proposed to be constructed along Juan Luna Avenue corner Cardinal Rosales Avenue and Archbishop Reyes Avenue corner Juan Luna Avenue.
The skyway is targeted to be built along General Maxilom Avenue corner M.J. Cuenco Avenue and M. Gotianuy Street and Rahman Street, while the flyover will be constructed along Osmeña Boulevard corner N. Bacalso Avenue and P. del Rosario Street corner Leon Kilat Street.
Another P40 million budget is being proposed to fund the detailed engineering design for the Guadalupe-Lahug bypass road.
Other DPWH projects include rehabilitation of national roads, construction of buildings and multipurpose facilities, flood-control and drainage projects, among others, in different barangays of Cebu City.
As for DOH-7, it asked CCDC to endorse P1.14 billion to fund its maintenance and other operating expenses and other capital outlays, including P500 million in assistance for the construction of the Cebu City Medical Center.
TESDA asked P30 million to rehabilitate its training center and modernize its training equipment.
For its part, NIA-7 sought endorsement of P19.5 million in irrigation projects in barangays Cambinocot, Lusaran, Tabunan, and Sinsin.
Abordo said the full-council meeting was supposedly slated on March 15 but the body decided to hold it yesterday with RDC’s next meeting set for February 28.
He said the CCDC will issue a resolution endorsing these projects to its regional counterpart before the end of the month.
In turn, RDC will endorse the projects to the national government for funding and appropriations in the next calendar year.