Written by Valentina Lopez
July 2010

In 2009 PPIAF provided a $315,000 grant to fund the pre-feasibility study for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in Cebu City, laying the groundwork for this project to gain traction and additional funding. Cebu City’s request for funding came after the former mayor attended a PPIAF-funded workshop on transport planning in 2008.

Since the completion of the pre-feasibility study, progress has been made on moving forward with the project. The Cebu City Council met on June 16^th, 2010, to discuss the proposed BRT project. At the meeting, the council was supportive of the project and began discussing the next steps in its preparation, which will allow the city to access  a proportion of the $1 million in grant funding from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) for the feasibility study and detailed design of the project.

BRT is a mass transit system that mimics expensive metro or light rail transit, but is itself among the most cost-effective public transport systems in the world. BRT systems use buses that run on designated lanes and pick up passengers from elevated platforms, instead of using rail vehicles. They combine the reliability, speed, and efficiency of rail systems with the convenience and versatility of conventional bus systems, taking advantage of the benefits of both types of transit, at a fraction of the cost of rail systems.

BRT in the Philippines
In the Philippines, a total length of 50 kilometers of BRT  is planned for implementation under the CTF. The currently planned 15 kilometer main line in Cebu City will run from Barangay Bulacao to Talamban, and is expected to be functional by 2013. Two additional lines, at least one of which will be located in Manila, will later be built, completing the remaining 35 kilometers. The main BRT line in Cebu City will set an example as the first such system in the Philippines and will help the Filipino people develop a better understanding of and appreciation for BRT systems.

The Cebu BRT project is a “green” project supported by the CTF, which aims to provide scaled up financing for the demonstration, deployment, and transfer of low carbon technologies that have a significant potential for long-term greenhouse gas emissions savings. BRT systems are energy efficient and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Cebu City. The BRT project in the Philippines will require $350 million in funding for the total 50 kilometers, with $250 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), $50 million in concessional funding from the CTF, and $50 million from the Philippine government.

Working with Cebu’s officials
The recently elected mayor, Michael Rama is as supportive of the project as his predecessor Tomas Osmeña, who considered the BRT to be one of the city’s top priorities. But in the Philippines, many officials do not have a full understanding of BRT systems and misleadingly think of them as conventional bus systems. No BRT system currently exists in the Philippines, which can lead officials to lean toward Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems that they are already familiar with, despite the greater cost-effectiveness and advantages of BRT systems.

Nigel Paul Villarete, City Planning and Development Officer, presented the PPIAF-funded pre-feasibility study to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), the Cebu City Council, and the Cebu City Development Council in order to increase knowledge of the BRT concept and reach concurrence on the project. PPIAF has also funded and organized workshops to increase awareness and knowledge of BRT in the Philippines, and in other developing countries.

The future of sustainable transport
The Philippines is a growing economy, and Cebu City is its second-largest city. Poverty in the Philippines has generally continued to increase despite growth, and Cebu’s recent rapid growth has led to increased congestion, pollution, and transport-related crime.  The BRT project has the capacity to bring environmentally sustainable transport to Cebu and other parts of the Philippines, in a time when the Philippine government has made it a priority to link poverty alleviation and clean technology planning. The project has captured the attention of the people of Cebu, receiving a large amount of local press coverage and promoting knowledge of BRT systems and their advantages. As other cities start to recognize the benefits of BRT, such projects could become more popular, bringing efficient, sustainable transport and further investment to the region.

Related material
-- PPIAF’s Global Knowledge Products Improve Urban Transport in the Philippines