The proposal was contained in a resolution adopted during the council’s full meeting last March 30, where it also endorsed the 2027 budget proposals of 40 agencies amounting to P97.21 billion.
RDC-7 approved the recommendation and urged the national government to issue an executive order establishing a DOTr regional office for the Visayas, to be based in Cebu. The move is expected to cut red tape and improve efficiency, as decision-making would no longer be centralized.
A regional DOTr office is expected to boost the implementation of major transport projects across the Visayas, particularly flagship initiatives in Central Visayas, including the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) and the upgrade, expansion, operation, and maintenance of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport.
Connectivity
The CBRT is among the key physical connectivity projects identified in the Urban Transport Masterplan, a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019 to address Metro Cebu’s transport challenges.
However, the project received an “unsatisfactory” rating from its funding agency, the World Bank, as only Phase 1 has been fully implemented despite its September 2026 closing date.
During a recent visit to Cebu, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Packages 2 and 3—covering operations and maintenance—will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP).
Meanwhile, reclamation is underway for a 25-hectare island in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion, where the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP) will be built.
The P16.93-billion NCICP, funded through official development assistance (ODA) from Korea, will handle foreign containerized cargo to help decongest the Cebu International Port in Cebu City, about 13 kilometers away.
Another key project is the upgrade and expansion of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport.)
Underground railway
During the meeting, RDC-7 also acknowledged other DOTr projects in the pipeline, including the Cebu Urban MRT (UMRT) Central Line and the Panglao-Tagbilaran BRT.
Lopez said the feasibility study for the UMRT is expected to start in October with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
The proposed UMRT will be an underground railway connecting Cebu City to major urban centers. It will span 67.5 kilometers from Danao City in the north to Carcar City in the south, with an additional 25-kilometer line to Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
The project is estimated to cost P199.62 billion and is targeted for completion by 2040.
Bohol BRT
The planned Panglao-Tagbilaran BRT will involve the construction, procurement, operation, and maintenance of a 27-kilometer high-capacity system connecting the airport to Tagbilaran City and nearby areas.
Funded through the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the P18.15-billion project is still in the pre-preparation stage.
Budget proposals
Also approved during the RDC-7 meeting were the 2027 budget proposals of 40 agencies, alongside key regional initiatives.
The proposed budgets will be submitted to central agencies and are allocated as follow:
Under Executive Order No. 82 (s. 2025) and National Budget Memorandum 156, RDCs are mandated to review and endorse regional agencies’ annual budgets to ensure alignment with the Regional Development Plan.
RDC-7 also endorsed key projects for approval by the Economy and Development Council–Investment Coordination Committee, including the Lapu-Lapu City Coastal Road Project, seen to ease traffic congestion on Mactan Island. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
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