In a move aimed at addressing mounting concerns surrounding the Metro Cebu Expressway (MCE) project, Gov. Gwen Garcia has ordered the DPWH 7 to temporarily stop its construction until a comprehensive assessment on the project’s environmental and safety compliance can be conducted.
According to the DPWH website, MCE is an approximately 56.9 km highway that connects the City of Naga in the south to Danao City in the north, traversing along Cebu’s mountain ranges, offering an alternative route via a north-south backbone highway.
However, during a meeting at the Capitol on February 7, Gov. Gwen Garcia received a report from Engr. Mary Ann Bueno of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) that a portion of the project that collapsed in October last year was not issued the necessary Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Engr. Bueno, chief of the EMB’s Environmental Impact Assessment Section, explained that an ECC is a document issued by DENR that certifies that a proposed project has been reviewed and found to comply with environmental laws and regulations, and that all management plans are in place as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
It can be recalled that the governor had already ordered stoppage on the project’s ongoing works after a portion of its Phase 3A in Barangay Inayagan and Barangay Cantao-an, City of Naga experienced landslides in October last year.
Back then, Gov. Garcia had asserted that the affected areas may no longer be feasible for the project as she likened them to Ayala Heights in Busay, Cebu City whose soil quality is also prone to landslide.
Gov. Garcia also asked DPWH 7 director Ernesto Gregorio Jr. to disclose the barangays that will be affected should the project continue, emphasizing the importance of transparency in informing the communities as well as the LGUs about its potential impact on safety and the environment.
She will call for another meeting with the stakeholders that will now include the mayors and chiefs of concerned barangays to assess how the project will pan out moving forward.
The governor’s intervention comes amidst growing apprehensions regarding the lack of clarity surrounding the project’s scope and potential repercussions. Concerns range from the displacement of communities to the potential ecological disturbances along the proposed route.
Governor Garcia’s push for transparency and call for a temporary halt on the project underscore her commitment to ensuring the welfare and safety of Cebuanos, highlighting the need for thorough deliberation and consultation with all stakeholders involved.
City of Naga Mayor Val Chiong was also present at the meeting, as well as officials from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Japan International Cooperation Agency. JICA officials are expected to present their recommendations for the project as they have already conducted studies for it. | Carlo Lorenciana