Cebu City Councilor Winston Pepito has defended the inclusion of the South Road Properties (SRP) in the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, warning that excluding the area would be a wasted opportunity for economic growth and public service.
Pepito's Stand on SRP Exclusion
Pepito, chairman of the Cebu City Council Committee on Transportation, made the statement after Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña pushed for a resolution directing the city government to reject the proposed realignment by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and revert to the original Bulacao-Talamban alignment. Pepito clarified that he fully supports completing the original Bulacao-Talamban route but sees no reason to exclude the SRP.
“I am against excluding the SRP from the CBRT. Why shouldn’t the SRP be included when it is one of the business districts that the city itself has been promoting? Why shouldn’t it be served by a mass transport system?” Pepito said.
Both Routes Can Coexist
According to Pepito, the current debate creates an impression that the city must choose between the original Bulacao-Talamban alignment or expanding the system to the SRP, even though both can be implemented. “The issue is not choosing between the two. Both routes can coexist. Why can’t we implement both?” he added.
The councilor also questioned why opposition to including the SRP has emerged only now. He pointed out that the CBRT alignment approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in 2014 already included both the Bulacao-Talamban corridor and the SRP. He noted that Osmeña returned as mayor in 2016, several years after the project was approved.
“If the approved alignment already included the SRP, why wasn’t it questioned at the time? Why is it only becoming an issue now?” Pepito asked.
Original Alignment Remains Part of Project
Pepito also refuted claims that including the SRP means abandoning the original Bulacao-Talamban corridor. He clarified that the original alignment remains part of the overall CBRT project.
