President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. finds the initial proposal to close EDSA for two years for repairs "unacceptable," citing the severe inconvenience it would cause commuters, including significantly longer travel times.

“Two years ng pagdudusa. Hindi mo naman puwedeng gawin sa tao ’yun (Two years of suffering. You just can’t do that to people),” Marcos lamented in his latest podcast interview aired on Friday.

Marcos also expressed deep concern and empathy for the daily struggles of Filipino commuters, particularly those who rely on public transportation along EDSA.

“Hindi ko matanggal-tanggal sa pag-iisip ko ’yung nasa kotse ka, nasa EDSA, makikita mo alas-dose na ng gabi, ang haba pa ng pila naghihintay ng bus. Tapos pag-uwi n’un, gigising ng alas-kuwatro ’yon. Maghihintay na naman ng bus para makapasok ng alas syete, alas otso. Sinasabi ko, hindi puwedeng ganyan. Napakahirap na, tapos dadagdagan pa natin ng kahirapan,” he said.

(I can't stop thinking about it — you’re in your car on EDSA, it’s already midnight, and you still see a long line of people waiting for a bus. Then, when they get home, they have to wake up at four in the morning to line up again just to get to work by seven or eight. I’m saying, that can’t be the way things are. Life is already so difficult, and now we’re going to make it even harder)

With this, Marcos directed relevant government agencies to conduct a thorough and careful review of the proposed EDSA rehabilitation plans, with a focus on minimizing the impact of any potential road closures.

He also reiterated his order to leverage modern technology to accelerate the rehabilitation process and reduce disruptions to commuters.

“Siguro naman may mga bagong sistema diyan na hindi natin kailangan isara o kung ’yung gagawin ay hindi dalawang taon. So sabi ko, itigil muna natin. Pag-isipan natin mabuti. Hanap tayo ng bagong technology. There are new technologies,” Marcos said.

(Surely, there are new systems out there that won’t require a full closure — or if a closure is needed, it won’t take two years. So I said, let’s put it on hold for now. Let’s think it through carefully and look for new technology. There are new technologies)

“I am very happy with the decision. Mukhang kakayanin na hindi dalawang taon (It looks like we can manage without it taking two years),” he added.

Last month, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that preparations for the EDSA rebuilding would begin on 13 June and last until 2027.

On 1 June, Marcos directed the DPWH and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to suspend the EDSA rehabilitation project, which was originally set to begin this month.

He emphasized that the rehabilitation will not proceed until comprehensive and well-structured rerouting plans are established to minimize disruption to commuters.