MERRY-GO-ROUND By FLORO MERCENE Makatizens are excited over a $3.7-billion subway system crisscrossing the country’s financial district, scheduled for completion in 2025. This subway project in Makati will create 6,000 new jobs and spur economic growth. Japan International Cooperation Agency estimates the 10-kilometer subway – constructed at no cost to the government – would contribute $600 million annually to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Mayor Abby Binay said the city's contribution will be the land that it owns. Makati will not shell out a single centavo for the intra-city subway that will have 10 air-conditioned stations. More than 700,000 passengers can be transported daily. The unsolicited public-private sector partnership (PPP) proposal and draft joint venture agreement submitted by a consortium of foreign and local companies led by listed firm IRC Properties, Inc., has been granted “original proponent status.” This historic project should be spared from petty politics and should be above the personal interests of some, as the subway will benefit all neighboring cities as well. This subway addresses the very heart of the jobs-living imbalance in Makati of approximately 5 million daytime workers, since only 500,000 actually live there. So, 4.5 million people flood in every work day, causing congested streets that existing transport systems cannot address. Productivity loss is an acute Makati issue. The subway will solve these problems through inter-connectivity with existing rails, enhancing the mobility of all people across Metro Manila. This subway will complement the other mass transport systems — the Metro Rail Transit-3 on EDSA, the Pasig River Ferry System, and the proposed Metro Manila Mega Subway. “My goal is for the subway to be Makati’s legacy to mass transportation. This project is bigger than myself as Mayor Abby Binay. We will be part of history, Makati’s contribution to Philippine development,” Mayor Binay said. “This mass transport system is Makati’s most ambitious PPP project to date. It’s part of my vision to make Makati the country’s first digital city — a city that is future-proof, connected and innovative but preserving its cultural heritage and identity.” Groundbreaking is before the end of the year and will bring the Philippines closer to world-class status. Everyone should give support regardless of political affiliation.