DOTr confident Congress will rescue EDSA Busway budget

The Department of Transportation remains confident that Congress will provide funding for the EDSA Busway in the 2027 national budget despite the project receiving no separate allocation under the proposed National Expenditure Program.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency continues to appeal to both chambers of Congress for funding, stressing the importance of the busway to Metro Manila commuters.

“Importante ang EDSA Carousel kaya ang DOTr ay patuloy na nakikiusap sa Senado at Kongreso na mabigyan ng pondo ang EDSA Busway sa mga budget hearings,” Lopez said in a statement read by Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro on Tuesday.

Lopez earlier sought P1.76 billion for the EDSA Busway during Senate budget deliberations.

The Department of Budget and Management confirmed that the EDSA Busway, Service Contracting Program and Fuel Subsidy Program were not given separate proposed appropriations in the 2027 NEP, even as the overall proposed DOTr budget increased to P300.96 billion. The NEP remains subject to congressional amendment and approval.

“At kumpiyansa naman ang DOTr na mabibigyan sila ng pondo para mapakinabangan ulit ng 67 million commuters na tumatangkilik sa EDSA Busway,” Lopez said.

Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself highlighted the importance of the EDSA Busway during his State of the Nation Address.

“Sa katunayan, sa SONA ng Pangulo, nabanggit ng Pangulo ang kahalagahan ng EDSA Busway. Ang Pangulo po, kung ano po ang mas makakagaan sa pasanin ng ating mga kababayan, hindi po naman niya iyan tututulan,” she said.

The DOTr has warned that about 183,000 daily commuters could be affected if Congress fails to provide the P1.76 billion requested for the busway’s operations next year. The agency is also studying a planned P21.17-billion public-private partnership for the system.

The Management Association of the Philippines has also pushed for continued government support for the busway, describing it as a critical mass-transit system along Metro Manila’s busiest road corridor.

MAP has long argued that the busway should be completed and upgraded instead of being left with limited funding, citing its high passenger volumes and its role in moving commuters more efficiently along EDSA.

The business group has called on the government to prioritize mass transportation over private vehicle use and eventually bring the EDSA Busway up to a higher operational standard.