SCMAP Visayas’ packed Infrastructure and Traffic Summit took a wide-ranging look at the traffic problems faced in Metro Cebu, as well as the solutions and proposals set to decongest not just the city but the Central Visayas region at large.
Held on 15 September at the Bayfront Hotel Cebu, the event attracted 90 delegates from not just across the province, but also from Manila and nearby provinces.
Engr. Fortunato Sanchez of the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board kicked off the event with a look at how infrastructure can be both a problem and a solution depending on how it is implemented. He called for better planning and a more holistic approach to infrastructure, and cited the examples of cities such as Singapore, Bogota and Iloilo as templates for how cities must develop their networks.
Following him were DPWH regional director Ador Canlas and CCLEX president Engr. Allan Aflon, who presented planned infrastructure projects benefiting the region. Among these are new public transportation options for Cebu City, as well as two new bridges connecting Mactan and Cebu, including the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, which is expected to open in 2020.
SCMAP director and supply chain practitioner Dr. Rodien Paca followed with an analysis of how Cebu’s port is keeping up with economic growth for the city (and region) it serves, arguing that investments should be made in ship services and safety. Presenting a different perspective is Architect Jensen Racho, who argued how urban planning can help it accommodate growth, and in Cebu’s case, realize its potential as a “world class metropolis”.
Such plans are already afoot in Mandaue City, which recently introduced new zoning laws that would transform several districts into new commercial and industrial complexes. Philip Tan, who represents the private sector in the city’s zoning board among others, returned to SCMAP Visayas to discuss its implications for businesses and motorists alike.
Cebu City Transportation Office head Atty. Israel Garaygay III discussed his agency’s efforts to improve not just traffic flow and regulation, but also education to ensure motorists’ safety. Finally, in a last-minute addition to the event, Atty. Rafael Yap, who leads Cebu’s bus rapid transit program, discussed plans to enact this much-awaited public transport project, which is expected to be finished in 2018.
Also present to provide further perspective from the government is Engr. Ricardo Mendoza, representing the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, who outlined plans to build a light rail line serving Cebu City and surrounding areas.
SCMAP Visayas president Gilbert Cabataña called the event part of the chapter’s continued thrust towards representing the region’s supply chain industry in policy decisions that affect how they operate.