Cebu: 4th bridge in the North, harbor in the South

Last week, after a day-long briefing conducted by the officials of the National Economic Development Authority, Department of Finance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Department of Budget and Management for the business sector, Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Emil Sadain, (who heads the DPWH Unified Project Management Office), informed people from the media, in a news conference, that the “feasibility study on the fourth bridge that would connect mainland Cebu to Mactan Island would start early next year.”

He further said that “It would be funded by a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) but the actual project would be funded by a P3-billion loan, also from JICA.”

Moreover, in such news conference, the emphasis was more on solving Cebu’s traffic mess.  That this bridge can, somehow, alleviate the trouble we’ve been through all these years traffic-wise.

Indeed, taking it based on the current traffic situation, this is a happy development. In the meantime, however, we have current undertakings that can worsen our existing traffic woes in the future. For one, the construction of the P9.19 billion New Cebu International Container Port will probably start this year. Though touted to “decongest traffic at the existing base port” in Cebu City, it will also doubly congest the roads in Tayud, Consolacion and Mandaue as well as the coastal roads of Cebu City once completed and used.

Why? The old bridges will remain toll-free. Therefore, whether we like it or not, some stingy motorists from Cebu City down to Santander who may wish to go to the Island of Mactan will still opt to go through the old bridges and Mandaue, a major choke point. Worse, manufacturers in the southern part of Cebu will still go through the cities of Cebu and Mandaue before reaching the Consolacion port in moving their cargoes.

Curiously too, in mainland Cebu, as reported, the foot of the fourth bridge shall be planted near Cansaga Bridge in the side of Mandaue. Considering that there is a very busy intersection there going into the heart of Pakna-an (where huge factories with huge trucks are situated), another bottleneck should be expected.

Why? Haulers at the international port in Tayud, Consolacion carrying international cargoes coming from or going to the south, as well as, from and going to the three Mactan Economic Zones and that of Mandaue will all fight for road spaces in this intersection. Obviously, therefore, movements of cargoes will be stalled. Not only that, employees working in Mactan as well as travelers from northern Cebu (using Cansaga Bridge) who will be catching up for their flights will also be trapped.

So that, what is necessary right now is to have another port in the southern part of Cebu.  Depending on the technical feasibility, it could be situated either in Minglanilla or Naga. With this port, Cebu, as a whole, will benefit a lot.

First and foremost, having both a North Harbor (the International Port in Tayud, Consolacion) and a South Harbor (probably, Minglanilla or Naga), businessmen in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue may just relocate their factories and warehouses to far north and south of Cebu. Logically so as the value of the lots in these cities where these structures are situated are now skyrocketing and it is so unwise to simply use them as such. Needless to say, the transfer shall also be a big boost in the countryside.

Secondly, we all know that there is an economic zone in Naga. Yes, there is, but, unfortunately, so underutilized. It is almost empty. Then, there were some locators. However, as years passed, locators transferred their factories to other countries where they are more cost-efficient and where ports are not situated deep inside the metropolis.

Thirdly, with the completion of the third bridge, a south harbor shall certainly complement it.  Obviously, trailers can use the bridge to reach Mactan Island. In the process, probably, Cordova can even develop its own economic zone. These and more, without congesting the cities of Cebu (except a portion of the South Road Properties) and Mandaue.

Certainly, therefore, a south harbor is necessary. That’s a no-brainer.