Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) President, and Chief Executive Officer Rogelio L. Singson emphasized that the goal of MPTC-NLEX as a company is to provide services beyond its toll road operations.
Singson shared this before more than 200 participants from 50 companies within the transportation sector gathered to share ideas on elevating the country’s current transportation system during the 2023 NLEX Transport Con last Nov. 29 led by the MPTC, looking towards innovative and sustainable measures to implement in the industry.
“In fact, what we want to do is to make sure that our partners in the transport sector, will be able to address and reach out to the different communities with us, so that, together, we will provide the life line, connecting people, connecting communities, and at the end of the day, help our nation grow,” said Singson.
NLEX President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista called for all industry stakeholders to unite to “champion sustainability, inclusion, and corporate social responsibility in the pursuit of our transport and energy-related goals.”
“Moving forward, we hope that Transport Con 2023 will be a source of inspiration to be proactive and to make a difference in the space and within the sphere we operate in. With our collective effort, we can build a nation that is progressive and sustainable, having learned from all the insights made available in this Conference,” Bautista added.
Notable speakers who shared their insights in the current transport climate during the conference were Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Annika Thunborg, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., and Mr. Obet Martin of Pasang Masda.
Gonzales, who spoke on behalf of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, noted the national government’s commitment to improving mass transit systems.
He mentioned projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway system, the Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1, Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension Project, the Philippine National Railways South Long-Haul Project, and the Metro Rail Transit 3 Rehabilitation Project.
“Physical connectivity remains a budget priority, with more than 43 percent of the proposed national budget allocated for road networks and railway systems,” stressed Gonzales.
Meanwhile, Swedish Ambassador Thunborg remarked on the need for a “long-term vision” for transport in the country.
“The transportation companies really need to work together. You all must agree that you would like to have a good system in place that is beneficial to everyone. This is the challenge that I see as an outsider, in Metro Manila in particular,” said Thunborg.
“The vision needs to be what is best for the society, what is best for Metro Manila, not what is best for me and my company,” she added.
Moreover, Martin expressed his support for the MPTC and NLEX in their initiatives to help motorists and other road users.
Other speakers in the conference included Clean Air Asia Sustainable Transport Lead Raymund Paolo Abad, DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Anneli Lontoc; Mober Technology, Pte Inc. Founder and CEO Dennis Ng; American Chamber of Commerce Philippines Chair Atty. Arnel Casanova; Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Senior Representative Fukui Keisuke; MPTC Chief Transformation Officer Roberto V. Bontia; UP NCTS Professor and Research Extension Fellow Dr. Adrian Roy L. Valdez; Mechatronics and Robotics Society of the Philippines President Nastaran Reza Nazar Zadeh; and Metro Pacific Tollways Mobility Vice President for Smart Mobility Solutions Mark Richmund de Leon.