CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber) emphasized the need to integrate transportation planning into the city’s ongoing Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) update.
Highlighting the importance of an interconnected strategy, Oro Chamber President Engr. Avalyn A. Cahulogan emphasized that a city’s growth must rely on a comprehensive, forward-thinking plan that integrates land use and transportation infrastructure.
“I hope that when the CLUP comes out, it will also consider the transportation planning. I think you cannot just make a land use plan without considering transportation,” said Cahulogan, who emphasized that the city’s land use and transportation systems are deeply interlinked–one cannot succeed without the other.
Cahulogan referred to a 2019 study by the Oro Chamber, which produced the Cagayan de Oro Transport Master Plan. Based on the data gathered, the plan underscored the need for new centers to bring work and educational opportunities closer to people’s homes, helping to address the city’s growing congestion and traffic issues.
She further emphasized that these new centers must be integrated into a modern, efficient transportation system so that people can readily access them without increasing the city’s already-existing traffic difficulties.
“This is crucial because no matter how well we plan if the transportation system is not incorporated, we will not solve any traffic problems. We will only be exacerbating the traffic issues,” she said.
With the city experiencing rapid urbanization, Cahulogan believes that a holistic approach to planning is necessary to support long-term growth and improve the quality of life for all residents. (APB/PIA-10)
