The plan was unveiled by Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro during her keynote address at the Cebu Industrial Summit organized by Aboitiz Economic Estates on Oct. 29, 2025, which was attended by investors, business leaders, and other stakeholders.
Baricuatro said the province envisions achieving balanced and inclusive growth by 2035 through its updated Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan.
Decentralizing progress beyond Metro Cebu
“To make this vision real, we are pursuing a new blueprint for industrial growth – one that combines strong infrastructure, sustainable innovation and people-centered development,” said Baricuatro, who has just been handpicked by President Marcos Jr. to chair the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas.
Following a polycentric development approach, secondary growth centers such as Danao City in the north and Naga City in the south will make up the Metro Cebu corridor, supporting industrial expansion with adequate land and infrastructure for businesses and workers.
This will back the existing north industrial corridors from the town of Consolacion to Carmen.
The northeast corridor will comprise Bogo City and the northern towns of San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan.
She pointed out that the province’s vast land area is ideal for renewable energy development, such as Acciona’s 140-megawatt solar plant in Daanbantayan, which is expected to be the largest in the Visayas and operational by late 2026.
For the west corridor, Toledo City and Balamban and Pinamugajan towns will continue developing medium to heavy industries, integrated with neighboring corridors and the expanding Metro Cebu.
Talisay to Carcar cities will focus on being an industrial corridor for the southeast area while Bantayan and Camotes islands will strengthen poultry and livestock production.
Beyond infrastructure: Investing in health and human capital
Baricuatro said the southwest corridors will sustain and diversify tourism showcasing Cebu’s natural beauty, heritage and culture.
“What makes our approach different today is that we measure progress by international standards, focusing not only on infrastructure but also on human development and environmental stewardship,” she said.
In the proposed 2026 budget, for instance, Baricuatro said 30 percent would be allocated to healthcare — covering infrastructure, equipment, medicine, and personnel development — while continuing to invest in needed infrastructure projects.
The governor said the province was also advancing three infrastructure projects with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA): Metro Cebu Sewerage System, 4thCebu-Mactan Bridge with coastal road to improve access to the upcoming international port in Consolacion town and the Metro Cebu Expressway.
Except for the sewerage system, the two other projects including coastal road and the port were part of the Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) of the national government.
The Metro Cebu Sewerage System is a masterplan for sewerage system that includes large scale proper water treatment system that will serve the cities of Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and the towns of Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan and Compostela.
Major infrastructure projects to boost Cebu’s connectivity
The 4th Cebu-Mactan Bridge, a 3.34-km bridge with an elevated viaduct of 2.17 km, costs about P76.41 billion and is funded through Official Development Assistance-Japan.
The project would include the construction of Mandaue Coastal Road which has a total length of 5.43 km including an elevated viaduct of 4.95 km.
The New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), worth P16.93 billion, would be built on a reclaimed 25-hectare island in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion aimed to decongest the Cebu International Port in Cebu City, about 13 km away from Consolacion.
In anticipation of traffic from the NCICP, a four- to six-lane bypass road will be constructed to connect the Mandaue Coastal Road — a component of the 4th Cebu-Mactan Bridge — to the container port and eventually to a private pier in Liloan town, Cebu.
Worth P32.74 billion and funded through official development assistance (ODA) from Korea, the project will span about 10.1 kilometers and include three long bridges.
Overcoming roadblocks through public-private cooperation
The Metro Cebu Expressway had been delisted from the IFP after the province asked to be the one to complete it.
The 33.58-kilometer, six-lane road project, which cost P94.07 billion, was designed to run from Naga City in the south to Cebu City, bypassing the congested urban center.
However, the project has been suspended by the Environmental Management Bureau of DENR-7 (EMB-DENR-7) following a landslide that damaged Section 3A — covering the entire Naga City area — and is awaiting repairs from the Department of Public Works and Highways.
To achieve the goal, Baricuatro appealed for support from all sectors since the government could not do it alone.
“The future we envision –smart , sustainable, and inclusive- requires partnership among government, private sector, civil society and our communities,” she said.
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