By Darryl John Esguerra

TOLL HOLIDAY. Accompanied by transportation and public works officials, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. opens a new segment of the CAVITEX-C5 Link on Monday (March 30, 2026), announcing it will be toll-free for the entire month of April to ease the burden on motorists. The newly opened CAVITEX-C5 Link Segment 3B, a two-kilometer expressway connecting Parañaque to Taguig, is expected to cut travel time from one hour to just 15 minutes, the President said. (MPC Pool photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday opened a new segment of the CAVITEX-C5 Link and announced that it will be toll-free for the entire month of April to ease motorists’ burden.

The newly opened Segment 3B, a two-kilometer expressway connecting Parañaque to Taguig, is expected to significantly improve mobility, especially during the Holy Week travel period.

“Mula ngayon hanggang end of April toll-free muna dito para naman mapagbigyan ang ating kababayan… lalo na Holy Week ngayon, maraming bumibiyahe (From now until the end of April, this will be toll-free to give relief to our countrymen, especially now that many are traveling during Holy Week),” Marcos said.

The President said the project will also reduce travel time to 15 minutes and ease congestion on surrounding roads.

“Yung biyahe na dati ay isang oras, isang oras kalahati, magiging 15 minutes na lang (Travel that used to take one to one-and-a-half hours will now take only 15 minutes),” he said.

Around 36,000 vehicles are expected to use the new road daily.

Marcos said the initiative is in line with the government’s broader efforts to improve mobility and provide relief to the public amid rising fuel costs linked to global developments.

The project is also aligned with the administration’s “UPLIFT” strategy, which includes infrastructure and transport interventions to mitigate the impact of ongoing energy challenges stemming from the Middle East conflict. (PNA)