NCCA wants P17-B Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project stopped

CEBU CITY – The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has stepped into the controversial issue involving the construction of a bus station for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project here.

The NCCA has sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) seeking the stoppage of civil works for the P17-billion mass transport system project.

A PORTION of Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City is closed to traffic due to civil works for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. (Calvin Cordova)

The request came after Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia issued a cease-and-desist order urging contractors of the project to stop the civil works for possible violation of heritage laws.

NCCA Chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo disclosed that the provincial government has formally expressed its concerns on the potential impact on the project on heritage sites in the area.

Province-owned lots covering the segment of Cebu South Bus Terminal to the Cebu Provincial Capitol are affected by the project.

Manalo asked DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure, Anneli Lonctoc, “not to conduct any work or changes in the area” until the Archeological Impact Assessment (AIA) and development for the project plans are approved.

“This is parallel to the review that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) is currently making on the project given their concurrent jurisdiction over the matter,” he added.

In their meeting with provincial government officials, Manalo said the project may affect  “visual sight lines” and “buffer zones” of the Capitol Building, a national historical landmark.

Mayor Michael Rama here has filed a complaint against Garcia for issuing a cease-and-desist order against the construction.

Rama filed the complaint before the Office of the President where he also sought the suspension of the governor.