Cebu City warns of expropriation over BRT right-of-way acquisition

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will initiate expropriation proceedings against property owners who refuse to sell land needed for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, as it races to complete right-of-way acquisition and secure the release of the remaining national funds.

Mayor Nestor Archival announced the plan during a press conference earlier this week, saying negotiations with some affected landowners have reached an impasse even as the city pushes to clear the road right-of-way for the project’s next phase.

The mayor said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has already downloaded half of the P900 million allocated for right-of-way acquisition, particularly along F. Vestil Street, the gateway to the South Road Properties (SRP).

The city can use the funds to compensate owners of affected lots and buildings once documentary requirements have been completed.

However, Archival said administrative delays slowed the payout because documents authorizing the transactions still carried the name of the previous mayor and required updating under the current administration.

“We are now revising the documents so we can finally pay the owners of the houses and properties that we need to acquire,” he said.

Some owners refuse to sell

Despite the availability of funds, Archival said not all affected landowners have agreed to sell.

READ: PH moves to cancel $85 million in Cebu BRT loans

Of the 55 property owners affected by the acquisition, several have declined the city’s offer, prompting the local government to prepare expropriation cases.

“The other thing is, sa 55 kabuok owners, dili tanan musugot nga ilang ibaligya. So usa ni sa makadugay because atong man ing himoan og expropriation proceedings,” the mayor said.

(Of the 55 property owners, not all have agreed to sell their properties. That is one reason for the delay because we will have to initiate expropriation proceedings.)

He added that the city also continues to process right-of-way documentation for other portions of the CBRT corridor, including areas along B. Rodriguez Street and Talamban.

Right-of-way allocation

Archival urged both the DOTr and city personnel to accelerate the acquisition process, warning that delays could prevent the release of the remaining national funding.

He said the national government will not release the second half of the right-of-way allocation unless the city substantially utilizes the funds already transferred.

“If we cannot pay the owners using 70 percent of the funds already downloaded, they will not release the other half,” Archival said.

When asked whether the city had alternatives if negotiations fail, the mayor gave a one-word answer: “Expropriation.”

He acknowledged that court proceedings would likely prolong the acquisition process.

Major hurdle

Earlier this month, the Cebu City Council rejected the proposed SRP realignment of the CBRT while reaffirming support for the project’s original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor.

During the special session, DOTr officials identified unresolved right-of-way acquisition as one of the biggest obstacles preventing construction along the Bulacao section.

DOTr Project Implementation Unit engineer Norvin Imbong earlier told councilors that although the government had transferred P460 million to Cebu City for right-of-way acquisition in the F. Vestil area, many affected properties remain unsettled.

He said fewer than half of the affected lots have been acquired or paid for, making it impossible for construction to proceed.

Imbong also warned that the project’s foreign loan expires in September 2026, prompting the government to prioritize infrastructure components that can still move forward before the financing lapses.

Despite the council’s rejection of the SRP realignment, the DOTr maintained that the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor remains part of the NEDA-approved CBRT project and will proceed once right-of-way issues have been resolved.

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