‘We don’t beg,’ Tugade makes clear

The traffic crisis was the result of problems that accumulated over years of “non-performance and neglect,” and it just happened that it blew up during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte who is now working to solve it, Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

Tugade, in a television interview, said the government is not pursuing anymore the push for Congress to grant emergency powers to the President to address the crisis, since, “We do not beg for emergency powers to solve the traffic problem.”

The DoTr chief believed Congress should have realized the need for special authority for a problem that had built up during the previous administration.

The term of former President Benigno Aquino III was notable for underspending the budget, which resulted in the huge backlog of infrastructure, primarily road and train projects, which resulted to the current road congestion.

Programs to ramp up public construction under the President resulted to several projects being started all at the same time, which further aggravated the vehicular traffic situation

Nonetheless, Tugade said, with or without the emergency powers from Congress, the traffic problem will be solved before Mr. Duterte steps down in 2022.

He noted, for instance, the Metro Manila subway which will partially open “at the latest in the first quarter of 2022.”

Moreover, he indicated the solution to the traffic problem is an improvement in infrastructure, equipment, policy and the education and discipline of both motorists and pedestrians.

The DoTr also expects San Miguel Corp. (SMC), which is constructing an international airport in Bulacan, Bulacan, to submit a proposal for an elevated 10-lane tollway on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) next week.

Tugade said he and SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang had discussed the plan during several meetings.

“We have long met about that for three or four times already,” he said.

“Ramon Ang has said that a formal proposal will be submitted by next week,” he added, as he shared that he had seen a modular sample of the proposed project.

“The concept is very good. I’m just waiting for the formal proposal. We cannot discuss details of the project such as its total cost, yet,” he declared.

SMC has scheduled to complete the elevated tollway, which is similar to structures in Japan, in two-and-a-half years at most.

It will stretch from D. Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City to EDSA-Balintawak.

Tugade also met with Bulacan provincial and local officials yesterday to tackle the smooth and efficient implementation of railway projects in the province.

The official ensured the ongoing government projects will continue to move forward until completion.

Two railway projects, the PNR Clark Phase 1 and PNR Clark Phase 2, will pass through the province as part of the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.

For PNR Clark Phase 1, Tugade reported that the rail line from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan is two to three months ahead of construction schedule.

Additionally, the DoTr chief announced that 24/7 construction work has been implemented since July to achieve partial operability by the fourth quarter of 2021.

Tugade mentioned that bidding for PNR Clark Phase 2, running from Malolos, Bulacan to Clark, has received worldwide attention, following the recent opening of bids that were participated in by nine international and two local companies.