MAP asks DoTr, lawmakers to fund EDSA Busway System

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has urged the Department of Transportation, as well as lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives, to allocate funds for the EDSA Busway System in the 2026 budget.

“This pioneering Busway System is relied upon by nearly 100,000 bus commuters for their daily travel, which they undertake with significant inconvenience that is visible to all.

"Congress now has the opportunity to provide the budget for the vital Busway-dedicated stations, which can be easily completed in 2026 if bid out in batches to large, reputable contractors,” the letter from MAP President Alfredo Panlilio and MAP Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Eduardo Yap stated.

The dedicated stations mentioned by MAP officials include Kamuning, Cubao/Araneta, Santolan, Camp Aguinaldo, Corinthian Gardens, Highway Hills, Estrella St. (Rockwell), Ayala/EDSA, Magallanes, Malibay, F.B. Harrison, MOA/J. Diokno, Aseana/Macapagal, and PITX.

For the past five years, MAP said, MRT-3 stations have been used by Busway commuters as access points. While an interim arrangement was acceptable during the initial test period, severe congestion has become a daily struggle for both MRT-3 and Busway commuters in the already overcrowded MRT-3 stations.

“Of the more than 20 Busway-dedicated stations needed, only four have been completed by the government so far: Guadalupe, Buendia, Taft Avenue, and Roxas Blvd. Two others—North EDSA and Ortigas stations—are being funded through private sector donations and are currently under construction.

“As a proper transport system in Metro Manila, the Busway requires its own dedicated stations. In addition to other ancillary facilities, this system must include overhead bridges connecting to the station platforms along the road median beside the MRT-3 trackway, with convenient access for physically challenged commuters,” the MAP letter further stated.

To date, however, MAP officials said, there has been no meaningful budget allocation for these infrastructures, aside from a few hundred million pesos, while the Busway project continues to await the long-delayed privatization process.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. correctly noted that the current car-centric policy is no longer appropriate, as it has deprived the public of much-needed road space. Mass commuter transport is the key to improving mobility.

“The government's commitment to ease the plight of bus commuters must be fulfilled. Since the government is not inclined to appropriate funds for flood control projects, those funds could be more effectively reallocated to the Busway System,” the group emphasized.

Moreover, the business organization recommended finalizing a Schematic Busway System Plan to serve Metro Manila and complement the EDSA Busway, linking, at minimum, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City with other major routes such as Quezon Avenue, C5, Sucat, and Alabang-Zapote.

“We need a roadmap for programming a comprehensive Metro Manila Busway System that complements existing and planned rail systems. The EDSA Busway System is the only mass transport project that can be completed within one year, and it should be implemented as soon as possible,” MAP concluded.