By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said the government is prioritizing the expansion of the country’s rail, bus, and terminal network, as more Filipinos turned to public transportation amid rising oil prices.
In his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, Marcos said trains, busways, transport hubs and integrated terminals, along with the upgrade and expansion of airports and seaports nationwide, will be the government’s focus to widen reach, increase capacity and modernize services.
“Sa nasaksihan nating pagtaas ng presyo ng petrolyo, maraming kababayan natin ang umasa sa pampublikong sasakyan (With the oil price increase we’ve witnessed, many of our countrymen relied on public transportation),” Marcos said.
He announced that the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) will open by next year, with trains running between Valenzuela and Malolos, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) targeting the completion of the line up to Clark, Pampanga by the end of the administration’s term.
He added that 12 stations of Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) will also open next year.
The new line, the first addition to Metro Manila’s rail network in nearly three decades, will run from North Avenue to Sacred Heart, Quezon City, and will eventually be extended to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, benefiting an estimated one million passengers daily.
Marcos credited the acceleration of these projects to the recently enacted Accelerated and Reformed Right of Way Act.
“Thanks to the recently enacted Accelerated and Reformed Right of Way Act, right of way issues are now quickly resolved, removing the biggest chokepoint in our mass transit development program,” Marcos said.
He also gave updates on the government’s bus rapid transit (BRT) projects, saying the first phase of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit is now open, while the Ilocos Norte BRT is set to be inaugurated next year. (PNA)
