Cebu City eyes expropriation to hasten CBRT project

Local

LANDOWNERS stalling the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project may soon face forced sales.

Mayor Nestor Archival warned that Cebu City is ready to resort to expropriation to prevent further construction delays.

Speaking during a press conference earlier this week, Archival said the acquisition of road right-of-way dominated discussions during his recent meeting with the Regional Project Monitoring Team of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas.

He said the national government has earmarked P900 million for right-of-way acquisition, particularly for the F. Vestil Street corridor leading to the South Road Properties (SRP), a key segment of the transport project. Half of the funding has already been transferred to the city.

According to the mayor, compensation to affected landowners has been slower than expected because documents authorizing the payments were still under the previous city administration and had to be updated.

"The biggest portion of our discussion was really about the acquisition of the road right-of-way," Archival said.

He explained that the city is now completing the necessary paperwork so payments can finally be released to owners of affected houses, buildings, and lots.

But documentation is only part of the challenge.

Archival said not all property owners are willing to part with their land, making court proceedings inevitable in some cases.

"Of the 55 owners, not everyone is willing to sell. That's one of the reasons this could take longer because we will have to initiate expropriation proceedings," he said.

Aside from properties along F. Vestil Street, the city is also processing documents covering areas along B. Rodriguez Street and parts of Talamban, which are included in the CBRT alignment.

Moreover, Archival said he has directed both the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the city's technical team to accelerate the acquisition process, stressing that delays could affect the release of the remaining national funds.

"If we cannot pay the affected property owners and utilize at least 70 percent of the downloaded funds, they will not release the remaining half," Archival said.

When asked what options remain if negotiations fail, the mayor gave a straightforward answer.

"Expropriation," he said, adding that legal proceedings would naturally take more time.

The mayor’s remarks came just weeks after the Cebu City Council rejected the proposed SRP realignment of the CBRT, insisting that the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor should remain the project's priority.

During the council's special session last week, DOTr Project Implementation Unit engineer Norvin Imbong acknowledged that acquiring the necessary properties has remained one of the biggest reasons construction on portions of the original alignment has not progressed.

Imbong told councilors that while the National Government had already transferred P460 million to Cebu City for right-of-way acquisition in the F. Vestil area, many affected properties have yet to be settled.

"There are only 52 lots, and until now not even half have been settled or paid. How can we proceed with construction if the right-of-way has not been cleared?" Imbong said.

He explained that this was also why work initially shifted toward the SRP, where no major right-of-way issues existed, allowing construction to move ahead while land acquisition continued elsewhere.

The DOTr has maintained that the original Bulacao-to-Talamban route remains part of the National Economic and Development Authority-approved CBRT project despite the proposed expansion toward the SRP.

The agency also warned that the project's foreign loan financing expires in September 2026, making it crucial for both the national and local governments to complete key components of the project and clear right-of-way issues as soon as possible.(TGP)