Vice Gov Blames Inaction, Crisis: Trans-Axial Highway almost good as dead

CEBU, Philippines – The proposed P50 billion Trans-Axial Highway that would have cut through the entire length of Cebu province from north to south is almost as good as dead, its main proponent said Friday.

Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, who envisioned the mega-project, said almost nothing has moved of the plan, and with the global economic crisis setting in, and with general elections scheduled next year, he said the chance is now slim for his brainchild to materialize.

Sanchez, an engineer, laid the blame in part on the “slow response” of the Cebu Economic Enterprise Council, which was supposed to review the feasibility study on the project.

“It has been more than a year since the study was submitted to the council but until now it has not started the review. Next year there will already be elections, so when do they think they will start,” Sanchez lamented.

“And with the global economic crisis, I have a feeling that those foreign bidders who may have been interested in undertaking the project before may no longer be interested now,” Sanchez added.

The Cebu Provincial Board earlier approved an ordinance establishing the Cebu Trans-Axial Development Project and its components.

It also authorized Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia to negotiate, enter into, and sign contracts and agreements, as well as to negotiate and/or expropriate properties in pursuing the project.

The project was to have been bid out to foreign investors willing to undertake it on a build-operate-transfer scheme. But no bidding could commence until the Cebu Economic Enterprise Council can evaluate the study and make its endorsement.

The planned Trans-Axial Highway involved the construction of a 300-kilometer, four-lane highway running through the middle of the elongated island province of Cebu, connecting Daanbantayan in the north to Santander in the south.

It was envisioned to host four new economic zones along its entire length, thereby bringing vital economic activity into the Cebu interior.

Along the projected path of the highway already exists patches of roads totalling 220 kilometers, thus necessitating the construction of only 80 kilometers of brandnew roads. The existing roads need only to be widened and interconnected to complete the Trans-Axial Highway.

In 2005, the Capitol allotted some P15 million to start the ball rolling, with P10 million of the fund earmarked for initial work on the highway itself and P5 million for waterworks.

So far, the Capitol reported having spent over P12 million of the amount, leaving a balance of P2,766,539.

Provincial board member Wenceslao Gakit confirmed Cebu Economic Enterprise Council has not touched the project study as of its most recent meeting last March 9.

Sanchez said his office submitted the terms of reference, pre-qualification papers, bid documents and the pre-feasibility study but never received any communication or feedback from the council.He never even got an invitation from the council to attend any of its meetings, Sanchez complained.

He said at least seven foreign investors expressed interest in the project last year but doubts if they remain interested on account of the economic crisis.

He ticked them off as Quantum International of Texas, United Engineers of Malaysia, as well as other firms from Australia, Singapore, Japan, China and Dubai.

Should the highway be realized, the Provincial Government could have expected to rake in P10 billion in 25 years.

Sanchez said his only consolation is that the feasibility study has not gone to waste as it is already there, just waiting to be used anytime by the government, whoever may comprise the next administration.

“If they are interested to pursue this project, they can pursue it anytime. It’s just a matter of bidding it out,” Sanchez said. (/JST) (THE FREEMAN)