P480B in Flagship Infrastructure Projects Lined Up for Cebu and Bohol

Ten major infrastructure projects worth more than P480 billion have been identified for Cebu and Bohol under the Marcos administration’s Infrastructure Flagship Program (IFP), the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development–Central Visayas (DEPDev-7) confirmed this week.

The list includes the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the 4th Cebu-Mactan Bridge, the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), and the Panglao-Tagbilaran City Offshore Bridge Connector, among other transport and connectivity initiatives.

Big-ticket projects for Cebu

Among Cebu’s priority projects are the P28.78-billion Cebu BRT, set for a partial test run next month after years of delay, and the proposed Cebu MRT Central Line — a P199.62-billion underground railway stretching 67.5 kilometers from Danao to Carcar, with a 25-km extension to Lapu-Lapu City.

The 4th Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road, valued at P76.41 billion and funded through Japanese official development assistance (ODA), will help ease congestion on Mactan Island. Meanwhile, the P16.93-billion New Cebu International Container Port aims to decongest existing cargo hubs and boost trade efficiency.

Also in the pipeline are the P32.74-billion Consolacion-Liloan Bypass Road, linking the new port to Liloan pier, and the Metro Cebu Expressway, which is currently under review after portions were damaged by a landslide in Naga City.

Projects for Bohol

In Bohol, three projects are in line for rollout: the P18.15-billion Panglao-Tagbilaran Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the P10.78-billion Panglao-Tagbilaran Offshore Bridge Connector, and the P4.53-billion expansion of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport through a public-private partnership (PPP) with Aboitiz InfraCapital.

Regional impact

DEPDev-7 Regional Director Jennifer Bretaña said the projects were identified under the 2019 Urban Transport Masterplan by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which proposed an “internodal” system integrating jeepneys, buses, BRT, MRT, and active transport.

“These projects are region-specific physical connectivity developments that will serve as catalysts for economic growth in Cebu and Bohol,” Bretaña noted.

Altogether, the 10 projects form part of the P1.51-trillion national infrastructure budget for 2025, equivalent to 5.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).