DPWH to Help in Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Right-of-Way Survey

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Central Visayas said it is willing to assist the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in the right-of-way (ROW) parcellary survey for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

Edgar Tabacon, DPWH-7 regional director, said DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Richmund de Leon told him the need to fast-track the acquisition of properties affected by the project for it to become operational in 2021.

"I made a follow-up to Usec. de Leon when we saw each other at the RDC-7 Infrastructure Development Committee meeting. He told me that the DOTr might download to the DPWH the fund for the ROW. But I explained to him that acquisition process for the ROW cannot proceed if there is no parcellary survey," Tabacon told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The DOTr intended to download as well the fund for the parcellary survey to the DPWH so that the leading public works agency in the region can bid out the service to the independent third-party contractors, he said.

"What we will do is to outsource the parcellary survey, para madali na, mapaspasan na 'to (so that we can do it quickly and we can proceed right away)," he pointed out.

The DPWH-7, Tabacon said, can hardly conduct the parcellary survey by themselves due to lack of personnel to handle it.

"'Di kaya i-absorb sa atong in-house engineers ang trabaho sa parcellary survey (Our in-house engineers are not capable to absorb the job of parcellary survey)," he added.

He said the extent of properties affected by the expanded and improved route of the BRT project can be determined through the survey.

De Leon and Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas held a joint press conference on Tuesday, September 3, to belie claims of Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar that the new route of the BRT project has been reduced by half.

The original 21.8-kilometers Bulacao to Talamban route of the BRT has been improved and expanded up to Talisay, which now effectively covers 39.58 kilometers.

Tabacon said the civil works aspect of the project cannot proceed if the acquisition of ROW is not terminated.

"We follow a 1-2-3 formula. One, we conduct parcellary survey. Two, we acquire the property for ROW. Then three, we proceed to civil works. You cannot proceed to civil works if the state has not acquired ownership over those properties affected by the project," he said.