A team from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met with Governor Gwen Garcia at the Capitol on March 3 to discuss a key project aimed at developing a comprehensive sewerage system for Metro Cebu areas.
Led by Mr. Deguchi Yosuke, the JICA team presented an ongoing master plan study for a comprehensive sewerage system that will cover Metro Cebu, from Compostela in the north to Talisay City in the south; including the areas in between, namely, Liloan, Consolacion, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova, and Cebu City.
The study, initiated in 2024, is expected to take three years to complete, with the final study results to be submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for appropriate action.
JICA is an implementing agency of Japanese official development aid for the purpose of supporting the socioeconomic development, recovery or economic stability of developing regions like the Philippines.
This ambitious study is a collaboration between JICA and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), which was represented by its General Manager Edgar Donoso in the meeting with the Governor.
Governor Garcia expressed strong support for the project and emphasized her commitment to expediting its completion, saying this is an important infrastructure that should have been built years before for Metro Cebu.
To do this, Governor Garcia proposed a partnership with JICA to expedite the process from three years to seven months. She suggested that the Cebu Provincial Government be allowed to help the agency in expediting data collection which is a crucial step in the project’s development.
“Make it a partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government. We are good partners. What you see is what you get. Everything is on the table,” Governor Garcia stated during the meeting.
The JICA team said they would relay the Governor’s proposal to higher-ups for proper authorization and were expected to inform the Governor of that decision in their next meeting.
The importance of speeding up the project is aligned with the latest study conducted by JICA, which emphasizes the need to address Metro Cebu’s sewage infrastructure in a timely manner.
Governor Garcia highlighted the urgency of ensuring the implementation of the project within a reasonable timeframe, stating that it would be detrimental if such a crucial development were delayed for decades.
The primary objective of the sewerage system development is to establish a unified septic system across Metro Cebu. This system will integrate the network of septic deposits that will feed into the larger septic infrastructure.
Governor Garcia’s proposal is in line with the provincial government’s successful track record of partnerships with private entities, including collaborations with Acciona for a solar power plant project in Daanbantayan and Manila Water for the Capitol's bulk water supply project in Carmen, among others.
This partnership with JICA, if approved, will play an important role in enhancing the sewage infrastructure of Metro Cebu, providing long-term benefits to Metro Cebu’s environmental and public health systems. | JMT