Mayor wants JICA to help fund bridge

CEBU, Philippines - Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy is eyeing the Japan International Cooperation Agency to shoulder the local government's counterpart funding in the construction of third bridge from the municipality to Cebu City.

Sitoy said the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation needs around P4 billion counterpart funds from the local government unit for the road construction from the proposed foot of the bridge in Barangay Pilipog up to Ibabao and Gabi and Sudtunggan in Lapu-Lapu City.

An estimated P18 billion is needed to put up the third access from Cordova to mainland Cebu.

As proposed, Sitoy said the end of the bridge in Cordova side is up to Barangay Pilipog where a toll plaza will be located and the road will be taken care of by the local government.  

"Mao na nga magpatabang ko sa JICA for the road opening," said Sitoy adding he is already invited to go to Japan in May.

Sitoy said the Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson also expressed willingness to help.

The MPTC, Province of Cebu and Cordova town have an existing memorandum of agreement on the conduct of pre-feasibility study on the proposed third access from Cebu City to the island of Mactan.

As proposed by MPTC, the project includes the design, construction, implementation, operation and maintenance of a third access located south of the existing Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.

It also includes the main bridge structure, viaduct, causeway and support arterial roads.

Certain developments on other national infrastructure projects, comments and observations from the parties during the last presentation of Project Update by MPTC last month require further modification of the design and alignment.

The MOA also provides that MPTC shall conduct its pre-development studies at no cost to the provincial government and Cordova. MPTC is also considering looking at various alignments extending the third access connection up to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

Sitoy said the municipality is also preparing for the booming of tourism industry once the third bridge would materialize.

He disclosed that the P30 million tourism center facility in Barangay Day-as is now being started.

Sitoy said the wide tidal flat, locally known as "hunasan," will be developed into a tourism destination where tourists could experience fishing with the locals as their tour guides.

His daughter, Vice Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, who heads the committee on tourism, said they are planning to make a one-stop destination in Cordova.

Cho said Cordova already has tourism facilities in Barangay Gabi such as the Happy World Museum, recreational activities, resorts and restaurants.

Cho said the plan also includes the establishment of a public beach, like what's found in other countries. — (FREEMAN)