The midweek break on Wednesday allowed my friends, E&M, and me to take a quick road trip to Pampanga to enjoy the food delicacies the province offers to local tourists.
The ride was a breeze. Smooth. Thanks to skyway and seamless connection to NLEX, a private-public partnership between the government through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and San Miguel Corporation Infrastructure and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
Salute to both SMC Infrastructure and MPIC because their toll projects, which by the way are still work in progress, make it easier and comfortable for us to travel either way – north and south of Luzon.
The Skyway extension and CALAX (Cavite-Laguna Expressway) in the south make my commute between the urban jungle of the metropolis and the serene, nippy weather of Tagaytay, my retirement nook, a leisure travel.
Heard from the construction corridors, though, that MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MHI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MPIC, and CALAX’ project proponent, is currently facing some difficulties in the construction of the inner roads, a vital component of Silang-Aguinaldo interchange.
This is pretty close to my heart and I have the shared motivation of MHI and the DPWH to resolve the right of way (ROW) deadlock because, I must admit, of self-interest: it will shorten my travel time.
Though it is not everyday that I traverse CALAX on my way to Tagaytay, I include myself as among those roughly 40,000 motorists per day who stand to benefit from the project completion.
From what I've gathered, the MHI-DPWH project cuts through the property of a private corporation owned by a prominent figure. I am familiar with Silang, especially the retail outlet for branded-signature clothing and other products. Thus, the curiosity in me led me to the fact that the ROW runs smack into stables for race horses.
To be expropriated is roughly about 450 meters. Expropriation is the act of a government claiming privately owned property against the wishes of the owners, ostensibly to be used for the benefit of the overall public to build highways, railroads, airports, or other infrastructure projects.
Based on the plan, MHI has to demolish the unauthorized stables to build a bridge and drainage systems connecting to the rest of the expressway.
To date, only 64 percent of the CALAX Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange subsection, the fifth of eight segments of the 45-kilometer expressway, has been finished.
The snag in ROW further impedes the completion of the project. Based on my research, it has been delayed for five years now. Considering inflation, the delay could push the project cost by an estimated 15 percent to a little over P41 billion from the original P35.7 billion.
Silang’s transformation to cityhood in 2025 as well hangs in a balance. It hinges on the completion of CALAX. What a lost opportunity!
But the wheels of business continue to churn positively with travel restrictions lifted and the business operations back to relatively normal pace. It is a shared motivation this Christmas season for us road-users to see the completion.
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