BRT, MCIAA development among P.Noy's top projects

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) Development Project are among the top 16 projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of President Benigno Aquino.

Aquino has identified 33 projects for the PPP which will cost about P314.34 billion.

Of the amount, the MCIAA development project gets a share of P8.03 billion while the cost for the mass transport system is still being determined.

Nigel Paul Villarete, Cebu City Planning and Development coordinator and newly appointed general manager of the MCIAA, said that a better airport, not only in terms of management but also in infrastructures, is underway in the next three to five years.

The development project includes redevelopment or upgrading of passenger terminal building and other essential facilities to cater international and domestic airline passengers' demand. It also eyes a new cargo terminal.

The creation of a master plan for the MCIAA started earlier this quarter. It is funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). According to Villarete, this will proceed to a feasibility study, which will validate the project's scope, cost and structure.

The expected date of bidding and tendering is on 2012.

Under the PPP, the Cebu BRT is part of a bigger Department of Transportation and Communications Project called the Urban Transport Program for Highly Urbanized Cities or Road-based Mass Transport System.

Aside from Cebu, UTP includes BRT in Manila and the Sustainable Urban Transport eyed for Davao.

"The proposed urban transport project is envisaged to focus on integrating transport systems to land use and street network to promote "walkable" cities and greater mobility, access and safety, promoting greater use of public transport modes and expanding non-motorized transport to lessen vehicle emissions, and improving traffic management and enforcement," Villarete said.

He added that the Cebu BRT infrastructure is proposed to be funded under Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the World Bank's Clean Technology Fund (CTF).

The actual implementation of the BRT for both Cebu and Manila is estimated to cost US$350 million, US$250 million of which will come from the WB, US$50 million from the CTF and US$50 from the national government.

WB also committed to give US$1 million for the full blown feasibility study that is expected to start on the first quarter of 2011. The services and operations will be supported by the Private Sector.

"The Cebu portion, initially is only US$115 for the infrastructure, but we are still discussing with the world bank the inclusion of the Mandaue link per their official request. I hope we can include it since the budget is still available. It seems that Manila BRT has yet to look for funds for its own FS," Villarete said.

During the actual implementation, private sector participation will also come in the operations of the system itself, including the vehicles, the operations and maintenance, the ticketing system, the scheduling system and other electronic and technical systems, he added.

The proposed Light Rail Transit of Cebu first district Representative Eduardo Gullas is apparently out of the picture.

"No problem with proposals, they come and go. There had been many submitted in the last 20 years, but whether these are feasible by NEDA and international standards is another issue. I'm just an engineer. For me, there is no way that two mass transport projects can share the same ridership [sic]. No matter how they justify it, the data would speak for itself," Villarete said. (FREEMAN)