After years of flooding concerns and back-to-back traffic complaints at the South Road Properties, Cebu City is finally rolling out two long-delayed studies that promise long-term solutions for one of the metro’s fastest-growing districts.
The Drainage Master Plan Study for the SRP officially begins today, Wednesday, December 3, 2025, following a coordination meeting between Mayor Nestor Archival and the area’s active locators.
The meeting, held yesterday at the South Road Properties Management Office (SRPMO), confirmed that the project will proceed under MGR Consultancy and Allied Services, Inc.
Dr. Belmore Mejares of MGR Consultancy said their team will begin the on-ground survey immediately.
They aim to complete the entire master plan within three months.
“We will begin the survey today so we can address the concerns of our locators. We only request personnel who can accompany us to prevent interruptions while we conduct the study,” Mejares said.
The consultancy fee will be shouldered entirely by SRP’s active locators.
A Memorandum of Agreement will be executed among the active locators, MGR Consultancy and Allied Services, Inc., the Cebu City Government, and the SRP Governing Board to formalize implementation.
SRPMO Officer-in-Charge Charisse Bayno Penida said the Cebu City Council already approved the tripartite agreement last week, clearing the way for the study to begin.
The drainage master plan was first proposed in 2019 but stalled under previous administrations. The project is only now moving forward with the support of Mayor Archival.
In the same meeting, the Cebu City Transportation Office reported that the Traffic Management Master Plan for the SRP is also progressing.
Atty. Kent Francesco Jungoy, Assistant Department Head of the CCTO, said TY Lin International has already begun its two-year study.
The P5.7-million project is funded entirely by active locators, with no city government funds involved.
“Based on their timeline, they will submit a technical memorandum in eight weeks. By the fourth month, they will produce the draft report, and toward the end of the same month, the final report will be completed,” Jungoy said.
The study includes the five connecting bridges conceptualized by the previous Cebu City administration.
TY Lin will also provide a two-year updated report as part of its deliverables.
During the meeting, the CCTO and SM Seaside management also sought Mayor Archival’s approval for the temporary closure of a portion of Vestil Road in Barangay Mambaling, from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.
The closure is needed to fast-track construction of the bridge linking SM Seaside to the new arena, which is expected to become another high-traffic destination at the SRP. (LLP)
