Palace to public: Sacrifice to enjoy road projects’ benefits

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang called on the public – motorists and commuters alike – to make little sacrifices for the sake of ongoing road projects in major thoroughfares that will bring about “tremendous benefits” in the long run.

“We reap the fruits of our labor through sacrifice, ” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in Filipino.

Coloma issued the statement in the wake of mounting complaints of traffic jams brought about by the ongoing construction of the Skyway Stage 3 that will have adverse effects on EDSA, Metro Manila’s major thoroughfare.

He said Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson made assurances that “efforts will be exerted to ensure that road projects in other areas will be implemented in a manner that will minimize disruption and inconvenience to citizens.”

Singson also promised that EDSA – which carries the heaviest volume of motor vehicles – “will not undergo any major construction or repair” and that “those using this major artery will not be affected significantly.”

A study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency quoting National Economic and Development chief Arsenio Balisacan as saying that the country is losing P2 billion daily in “lost potential income and foregone productivity due to severe traffic congestion.”

“This is why the government has prioritized two major infrastructure projects – the Skyway Stage 3 and the NLEX-SLEX connector,” Coloma said, adding that travel time from the North Luzon to the South Luzon Expressways “reduced drastically from two hours to less than 30 minutes.”

According to Coloma, these two major projects “will bring about an improved quality of life due to ease of travel across Metro Manila that will benefit the citizens, communities, businesses and industries.”

Among the areas that will directly benefit from it are Calabarzon (Region 4-A), National Capital Region and Central Luzon, an area that presently contributes about 60 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Work on the 13.4-kilometer road connecting the NLEX and SLEX will start in July this year. The connector road – a four-lane elevated expressway that starts from Caloocan City and ends along Buendia in Makati City – will be an alternative to C-5 Road and EDSA.