The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is working closely with local governments and stakeholders in the Visayas to implement several infrastructure flagship projects, including the new Cebu Container Port and Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
During the recent post-State of the Nation Address Philippine Economic Briefing in Cebu, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista cited several big-ticket transport projects in the pipeline approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in the region.
“There are 42 ongoing projects in Visayas, 15 of which are part of the infrastructure flagship projects which were approved by NEDA in March. These include airports, seaports, road networks, and railways,” Bautista said.
He assured the continued implementation of ongoing projects, saying the DOTr is working closely with contractors for the timely completion of transport infrastructures.
“We plan to do is to see to it that we continue the implementation of all these projects. (We will) work closely with the local government units and also with the contractors to see to it all the projects are completed and implemented in time,” said Bautista.
Bautista mentioned the expansion and improvement of Dumaguete Airport, Kalibo International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Bacolod Airport, as among the projects.
Other projects in the Visayas region are the expansion of the new Cebu Container Port and the Cebu BRT, which is now on its first phase and set to be completed this December.
The P16.3-billion Cebu BRT Package 1 consists of the construction of a 2.38-kilometer segregated bus lane and 1.15 km of pedestrian improvement, from the link to the port.
Around 60,000 passengers will be accommodated per day during its first year of operations. At its full operations, it will cater to around 160,000 passengers per day.
The DOTr is also working with a proponent for a proposed monorail in the province, added Bautista.
In a related development, the DOTr welcomed the removal of vaccination certificate requirements for inbound travelers following Memorandum Circular 2023-06 issued by the Department of Health (DOH), effectively lifting the entry screening protocols.
The DOH-Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said the circular covers inbound travelers in airports and seaports. “All arriving international travelers are accepted regardless of their vaccination status,” the DOH said.
Bautista said the DOTr has been coordinating with the BOQ even before the DOH announcement to ensure the safety of passengers.
“This is indeed a very welcome development on our part. The DOTr has been coordinating with the DOH through the BOQ to ensure that all passengers are accorded safe and convenient travel. We will implement and follow this,” he said.
The order follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Proclamation No. 297, which lifts the country’s public health emergency due to the COVID-19 last July 21.
