Cebu City taps Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation for river study

CEBU, Philippines - To address flooding and environmental degradation, the Cebu City government has tapped Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation to do a master plan for the rehabilitation and recovery of Guadalupe River’s three-meter easement.

The master plan, Mayor Michael Rama said, would help preserve the river by restoring the three-meter easement with embankment and proper drainage systems that would be free from illegal settlers.

He said the plan is also meant to reforest and rehabilitate the riparian zones of the river in the hope of arresting soil degradation and improving green cover.

MPTC, which is among the donors for the construction of a new Cebu City Medical Center building, would be studying not just the easement but also the establishment of roads on both sides of the river from Langub, Barangay Kalunasan toward Barangays Ermita and Pasil downstream.

Rama said the plan would be to create a hanging lane that would accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.

“The salient features would be the provision of a hanging bicycle lane and walkway (pedestrian path) that is senior citizens — and persons with disabilities-friendly along the entire stretch of the river similar to that of San Francisco (in USA). This will be seen from the north and south areas,” he said.

The project, however, has significant engineering challenges that would have to be incorporated in the master plan.

MPTC President Ramoncito Fernandez said they have no specifics yet as to the cost of the project or its timetable since details like the river’s length and width, number of structures that would be affected, and other considerations need to be gathered and evaluated beforehand.

“We really want to help the city and the mayor. This is an unfinished business for him (Rama) and he wants it finished before his term ends. That’s why he asked our help last year for the master planning of the river,” he said.

Rama said the rehabilitation and beautification of the Guadalupe River has been his long-overdue dream since 1995.

He said the project would complement MPTC’s P16.5 billion third bridge project that would link Cebu City with Mactan Island.

“This will enhance the third bridge because somehow it will eliminate the eyesores of garbage, ugliness of rivers, flowing human wastes…and (the) invasion of the three-meter easement, which is beyond the commerce of man,” the mayor said. (FREEMAN)