By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The municipal government here will formally open the Integrated Bus Terminal in February 2026, with the public market expected to follow in the succeeding months, finally putting into use a major public infrastructure project that was completed nearly six years ago but left idle amid financial and operational setbacks.
Mayor Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo said the terminal, located in Barangay Hubang, is expected to ease congestion in the town center and reorganize public transport routes once operations begin.
The long-delayed opening, however, has raised questions over project planning and fiscal management, as the local government has been servicing debt on the facility despite its non-use.
The mayor disclosed the updated timeline in a Jan. 13, 2025, interview, acknowledging that while construction was completed years earlier, unresolved issues—ranging from utility connections to operational readiness—prevented the immediate opening of the facility.
Once operational, the terminal will introduce new bus routing schemes.
Buses from Davao City will enter San Francisco through the diversion road intersection in Sitio Taglikid, Barangay Bayugan 2, while buses from Butuan City will use the Hubang diversion road intersection.
Buses coming from Surigao del Sur will pass through the Alegria diversion road intersection, exit near the San Francisco Doctors Hospital, and proceed to the Hubang diversion road en route to the terminal.
The integrated transport and market complex, built on a five-hectare site along the diversion road, was conceived as a solution to chronic congestion and overcrowding in the town center. But despite its completion, the facility remained unused for years even as the municipal government continued to pay for the project.
The complex was financed through a P600-million loan, prompting the local government to allocate a substantial portion of its legally mandated 20-percent development fund for debt servicing.
About P69 million has been set aside for principal and interest payments—an obligation critics say underscores the cost of delays, as public funds were spent without corresponding public benefit.
Paredes-Bravo said the phased opening of the terminal and public market is now being prioritized to finally begin generating revenue from transport operators and market vendors, which she said is necessary to ease the town’s financial burden.
Municipal officials said consultants have been engaged to finalize tariff structures, stall rental rates, and operating policies, while additional appropriations are being considered to address lingering concerns over water and power supply.
Despite the years-long delay, local officials expressed hope that the opening of the facilities would help modernize transport services, improve traffic flow, and stimulate economic activity—benefits residents have waited years to see materialize.
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