Sepulveda's assurance Cebu Trans-axial project explained well to investors

CEBU, Philippines - Capitol consultant on information and revenue generation Rory Jon Sepulveda assured Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, who envisioned the Trans-Axial Highway project, that all his concerns were properly addressed during a meeting between the province and a Manila-based consortium.

The assurance was made after Sanchez raised some doubts if the Strategic Alliance Holdings Inc. would understand the mechanics, systems and concepts of the multi-billion peso trans-axial highway project.

In a press conference yesterday, Sepulveda said the concepts of the project were properly explained to the interested investors.

Strategic Alliance Holdings Inc., recently met with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Sepulveda and the provincial engineers to discuss the highway project.

The 300-kilometer Trans-Axial Highway project is envisioned to be a four-lane highway running through the middle of island province, connecting Daanbantayan in the north to Santander in the south.

It is not only focused on road development but will include land, water and energy development and will host four new economic zones along its entire length.

Sepulveda said the project is “slowly but surely” becoming a reality since they are optimistic that a contract will be signed this year.

Within this month, two foreign investors –one from Malaysia and the other from Australia – will becoming to Cebu also to express their interest in trans-axial highway project.

“Preliminary studies, the groundbreaking will be next year. Five years siguro mahuman,” Sepulveda said.

Sepulveda further said that provincial government will not spend a single centavo for it. They are still studying whether the project will be implemented through a build-operate-transfer scheme, joint venture or straight contract.

“The province is in a position to come up with a big project without using government funds,” he added.

Along the projected path of the highway already exists patches of roads totalling 220 kilometers, thus necessitating the construction of only 80 kilometers of brand new 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. – Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)