Infrastructure is the skeleton upon which a thriving economy is built. For Cebu, that skeleton is showing signs of strain.
The message from this year’s Investment and Entrepreneurship Summit, held as part of Cebu Business Month 2026, was as urgent as it was clear: Cebu cannot grow its way out of congestion, flooding, and water scarcity using public funds alone. The call by Aboitiz InfraCapital Vice President Eduardo Aboitiz for deeper investments in public-private partnerships (PPPs) is not merely a business pitch-it is a necessary prescription for survivalConsider the evidence. Central Visayas remains the country’s fourth-largest regional economy, with a gross regional domestic product of P1.32 trillion in 2025. Yet that same economy grew by only 3.7 percent-below the national average-hamstrung by typhoons, tariff shocks, and the lingering distrust from a flood control scandal. More tellingly, inflation in the region hit a staggering 10.8 percent, far above the national figure, exposing the vulnerability of an island economy dependent on shipping and fuel.
The numbers tell a story of paradox: Cebu is a powerhouse, but its engines are overheating. Traffic worsens. Water concerns mount. Flooding and waste management lag. As DepDev-7 Assistant Director Evelyn Nacario-Castro rightly noted, rapid urbanization is creating congestion and infrastructure gaps that could limit productivity if left unresolved.
Against this backdrop, the PPP model is not a luxury-it is a lifeline.
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport stands as the shining example. By marrying government oversight with private-sector capital and operational expertise, MCIA expanded to serve 12 million passengers annually, generating ripple effects that reach market vendors and small transport operators far beyond tourism. The Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, delivering 300 million liters daily to over a million residents, proves that long-term water security is achievable through sustained collaboration.
Cebu can-and must-replicate these successes.
But partnerships require more than handshake agreements. As Aboitiz emphasized, water security and infrastructure resilience demand long-term planning, policy consistency, regulatory predictability, and political will. These are not technical hurdles; they are governance challenges. Investors will not pour capital into projects where rules shift with every election or where permitting remains a labyrinth of delays.
The warning from Castro is equally sobering: Central Visayas’ openness to global markets is a double-edged sword. Downturns in tourism, remittances, and trade hit the region hard. Meanwhile, manufacturing-a critical pillar-contracted by 0.9 percent last year. Without modern logistics, reliable power, and resilient water systems, Cebu risks pricing itself out of competitiveness.
There’s an urgent need for business leaders and government to work together beyond rhetoric. Deepening PPPs means streamlining approval processes, ensuring transparent bidding, and protecting contracts from political interference. It means prioritizing shovel-ready projects in water security, flood control, and sustainable transport over ribbon-cutting for less critical endeavors. And it means acknowledging that the private sector is not a substitute for public accountability but a partner in shared risk and reward.
The summit’s theme-‘PPPs as a catalyst for Cebu’s economy’-must become reality, not just a talking point. Cebu’s quality of life, its ability to attract investments, and its standing as the South’s premier economic hub depend on infrastructure that keeps pace with ambition.