Project of the century

The Metro Manila Subway Project (or MMSP, finally an acronym for it) is our country’s most significant infrastructure project today. It may not be the best solution for Metro Manila traffic — in my opinion, provincial progress is the answer. 

Mind you, traffic will worsen in Metro Manila as people will continue to buy vehicles unless the government imposes higher taxes on vehicles or limits car ownership. Rather, the MMSP will be the best solution for transporting humans all over the metro. 

In the recently concluded Academy Awards, the period film “Oppenheimer” won several awards, including Best Picture. In this masterpiece by virtuoso director Christopher Nolan, we see how a country can go to great lengths to pull off what could be the most destructive weapon of all time. The US spent a great deal of time, money, and ingenuity to pool together the most brilliant of scientists to develop the atomic bomb. 

While the result caused deaths in the thousands, the sheer determination of Oppenheimer and his team to invent a devastating weapon is a testament to what the “American Dream” can achieve.  

The atomic bomb is different from the subway. The MMSP is meant to unite the Filipino people and help lessen Manila’s traffic woes by taking people from point A to point B without getting into a vehicle. Its completion can be a hallmark of what Filipinos can achieve. 

The MMSP’s 17 stations will traverse major cities, notably excluding Makati City, the country’s main central business district. We all saw how the planned and partially implemented Makati Subway failed to come to fruition. This project should be continued. 

Perhaps it should be discussed how the DoTr, under the leadership of Secretary Jaime Bautista, can take over the Makati Subway, considering all the plans have been laid out. Even the right-of-way proceedings had been started for privately owned structures in Makati.  

This (proposed) Makati Subway should be connected to the MMSP to allow constant movement in and out of the business districts and connect the three main business hubs—Makati, BGC, and Ortigas. Some concessions should be granted to Makati City for the work done earlier, but we should keep in mind how the entire populace of Metro Manila would benefit from this possible course of action.

While the infrastructure proposals emanating from the newly formed partnership of Manny V. Pangilinan and Ramon S. Ang should be considered, these remain to be too centric on vehicles. It was mentioned that the duo is discussing the building of more tollways, including one that would be built directly above EDSA and one that would run along Katipunan Avenue in front of Ateneo. With their combined experience in tollways, they know that business would be sensible if the government granted these, but the emphasis should be on transporting people, not vehicles. 

It is my humble submission that the administration should double down on the subway and begin implementation of new stations and loops for the MMSP before its expected completion in 2029, even if it will be beyond the term of our President Bongbong Marcos Jr. 

In fact, this would make good political sense since a grandiose project would be started now and have a more lasting effect in the upcoming administration, giving more goodwill for the future anointed candidate in the next presidential elections. 

For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com.