President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. affirmed to the public that his current administration was keen on ensuring that the various infrastructure projects dedicated to the transportation sector would be accomplished and be made useful to the public in the final two years of his term.

One of the major endeavors under the Marcos administration has been to accomplish the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), stretching from Quezon City to Bulacan with a total of 14 stations.

The President said that the railway, which began construction in April of 2016, was scheduled to serve commuters come 2027, opening with its first 12 stations, before subsequently extending to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

Another transit system on Marcos’ agenda was the completion of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) spanning Valenzuela to Malolos, going up to Clark in Pampanga.

He attributed the expedited process of finishing the railway to the implementation of a measure that eased the process when it came to securing the right of way.

“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,” he said in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, 27 July.

Aside from railway systems, Marcos said that his administration was also looking to establish road networks that not only connected distant areas, he also said that he sought to ensure that the roads were structurally sound and beneficial to the public.

One of the administration’s road extension projects that was set for completion this year was the South Luzon Expressway-TR4, meant to connect Quezon City to Sto. Tomas City, Batangas.

The project began construction in March of 2019 and has reportedly cost the government P58.42 billion.

Aside from road extensions, Marcos said that numerous bridge rehabilitations and reconstructions had been resolved under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) such as the San Juanico Bridge in Eastern Visayas, Piggatan Bridge in Cagayan, and the Panul-iran bridge in Iligan City.

Earthquake preparations

Due to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit various areas in Mindanao last June, the President also stated that numerous evacuation centers in the country had been established to serve as a place for individuals and families affected by natural calamities.

Marcos noted that he ensured that such structures were not vulnerable to any natural disasters.

“The buildings are designed to resist severe calamities like super typhoons that have strong winds of up to 340 kilometers, and magnitude 8.4 earthquakes,” he said.