CEBU CITY – Amazed by the mammoth Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), Manila Mayor Isko Moreno vowed that if he gets to win the presidency, he will continue President Duterte’s infrastructure program dubbed as “Build Build Build.”
Moreno on Saturday, November 6, toured the 8.5-kilometer bridge that will connect Cordova town off Mactan Island and Cebu City.
“I hope ma-duplicate ito. So ito yung mga “Build Build Build” na ginawa ni Pangulong Duterte sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa na itutuloy naitn kasi pakikinabangan ng tao eh (I hope this will be duplicated. This is the “Build Build Build” done by President Duterte in various areas of the country that we will continue because this will really benefit the people),” said Moreno, who was in the second day of his two-day Cebu sojourn as part of his “Listening Tour” where he had dialogues with various sectors.
Moreno said the CCLEX is “proof of concept” that constructing massive bridges to connect the islands and spur economic growth is possible.
“Talagang pag ang national government inempower ang local government, mas mabilis ang development (It shows that if the national government empowers the local government, the development is faster). This bridge will bring so much economic growth in the next decades, two or three, for the entire Cebu province,” said Moreno.
Constructing the CCLEX at zero cost to the government being a public-private partnership makes the P30-billion project all the more impressive, said Moreno.
“The government did not spend for this. That’s the catch,” he said.
Last October 5, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) and its subsidiary Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) wrapped up the construction on the main bridge deck with a special joint concreting covering the remaining two-meter gap.
CCLEX will be using a full electronic toll collection system once it opens to motorists in the first quarter of next year.
“Now it’s not impossible that someday, somehow, we can interconnect or connect the entire 7,100 islands because of this proof of concept. So yes, will pursue the same journey with regards to this type of “Build Build Build,” said Moreno.