SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan — The administration-backed senatorial candidates in the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (APBP) are mulling an expanded mass transit system in the greater metropolitan area.

In a pre-rally press conference, the candidates underscored the need for a mass transportation infrastructure to boost productivity, economic activity and jobs creation.

Pointing to the Metro Rail Transit-Line 7 (MRT-7), which will run from Metro Manila to the province of Bulacan, Las Piñas City Representative Camille Villar stressed the importance of interconnectivity, especially with the nearing completion of the train line.

“We see with the MRT-7 that we will improve interconnectivity. When infrastructure comes to a town, there is an increase in productivity and jobs,” she noted.

“This is a good example of a city development that is prepped on economic development. So, what we want here is to prepare the people of [San Juan del Monte] for more jobs, better jobs, better infrastructure, and a very good housing program,” she said.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino said SJDM should not just be a commuter hub but an integral part of the Mega Manila economy.

“[SJDM] will play a big role because it will not just be a bedroom community for Metro Manila. It will be a de facto member of the Mega Manila community. We have to prepare for that,” he said.

He also proposed amending Executive Order No. 325 which expands the Regional Development Councils, ensuring that cities like SJDM, Bacoor, Cavite and San Pedro, Laguna are included in the transport planning of Metro Manila.

“I would endeavor to amend the existing Executive Order 325 which calls for the creation of Regional Development Councils. Modesty aside, when I was MMDA chairman, I was also the chairman of RDC-NCR (National Capital Region) and that was the time the MRT-7 was signed,” he said.

Tolentino added that once the MRT-7 is completed, it would ease the congestion along the traffic-heavy Commonwealth Avenue and North Luzon Expressway as well be a center for growth.

On the other hand, former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said additional roads will not solve the traffic congestion, noting that mass public transportation must be prioritized.

“I always said back in the day that even if we had an odd-even coding [scheme], even if we had more bridges and more roads, there would still be more cars, as car production speeds up,” he said.

He also criticized poor urban planning that failed to integrate railway systems into key infrastructure projects like the Manila Bay reclamation.

“It’s a shame that trains weren’t included in the plans before the reclamation area was approved as a provision would have been made for trains to pass through. Just imagine Roxas Boulevard, which has a problem every night with big 10-wheelers. Imagine if you had railways from the port, they would be placed in the reclaimed area, it would have been a big deal if it had been planned well,” he said.

Once finished, the MRT-7 will be able to transport 850,000 passengers daily from the MRT-3 and LRT-1 lines, forming a metro-wide transit. It is expected to be fully operational by 2025.