Recognizing the amount of money the country continues to lose due to the traffic crisis in Metro Manila, President Marcos assured the public that the government is exploring different strategies to decongest the metropolis, such as rushing mass transit projects and relocating agencies' regional offices out of the region.

Marcos said this as he attended the Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Concerns in San Juan City on Wednesday, April 10.

In his remarks, the President said the government was doing its best to resolve Metro Manila's traffic woes not only for economic, health, and safety purposes but also to ease the plight of commuters.

"These are the strategies that we are examining para pagandahin ang ating mga (to improve our)— para yung mga stakeholder natin, mga commuter natin ay hindi naman masyadong nahihirapan, hindi masyadong namamahalan, at nauubos ang oras kahihintay ng sasakyan para makauwi (so our stakeholders, the commuters, won't suffer too much, won't have to spend a lot, and waste time waiting for a vehicle)," he said.

Marcos noted how there are still commuters trying to catch a bus home at midnight and still have to wake up before dawn breaks the next day.

"Walang buhay talaga yung mga tao, eh, kawawa naman (The people have no lives. They're pitiful), he said.

"So we really have to improve the situation. We are trying very hard to solve the problem," he added.

Mass Transit System

According to President Marcos, having an efficient mass transit system such as in Tokyo, New York, and London is the solution to resolving Metro Manila's traffic crisis.

"Kaya tayo naglalagay ng mga subway, naglalagay tayo ng mga tren, ito po ay para naman ay mas madali talaga, wala nang traffic (That's why we are building subways and trains to make travel easier and there would be no traffic)," he said.

"Sa mga ibang lugar... makikita mo lahat ng klaseng tao doon sumasakay. Kahit yung mga mayayaman na may kaya, sumasakay sa tren dahil yun ang pinakamabilis (In other places... you'll see all kinds of people riding the train. Even the more affluent ones, they ride the train because that's the fastest)," he added.

Marcos noted that an efficient mass transit system would address the amount of money in lost opportunities that the Philippines is losing due to the traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

A Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study revealed that the traffic congestion in the National Capital Region (NCR) alone costs the Philippine economy at least P3.5 billion per day and this could balloon to P9 billion, according to Marcos, if nothing would be done.

"Nasasayang na oras, ang productivity natin bumabagsak, dahil nga nag-aantay tayo ng sasakyan (Time is wasted, our productivity decreases, because of waiting for transportation)," Marcos said.

"Ang tanging sagot dito ay talaga ay mga mass transit system kaya yun ang aming minamadali (The solution to this are mass transport systems that's why we're rushing them)," he added.

The President enumerated the progress of the different major railway projects in the country:

• North-South Commuter Railway Project (Tutuban-Malolos) - 61 percent complete
• North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project (Malolos-Clark) - 56.6 percent complete
• North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project (South Extension, Manila-Calamba) 38 percent complete
• Metro Manila Subway Project - 41 percent complete
• LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension - 80 percent complete
• MRT Line 3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance - 85 percent complete
• Unified Grand Central Station - 83 percent complete
• MRT Line (Quezon City-Bulacan) - 67 percent complete

One traffic and road system

President Marcos likewise highlighted the importance of all cities and municipalities in Metro Manila having a unified road and traffic system to not confuse the stakeholders, particularly on the student change of traffic rules between local government units (LGUs).

"We have to look at it as an entire system that complements each other one town, one city to another," he said.

"We have to consider the road system and the mass transit system in Metro Manila as one system, and one system feeds into another. That is why we are trying to coordinate all the different LGUs of Metro Manila and to bring them together into one holistic plan," he added.

According to Marcos, the national government needs the help of agencies and LGUs in the quest to decongest Metro Manila.

"The national government can only go so far. At some point, we have to hand off the problem to you with our own solutions," he said.

Motorcycle services

Marcos said the government is studying the possible expansion of the pilot implementation of motorcycle taxis and other related services.

"We have 15 million, more or less, riders dito sa Pilipinas kaya't napaka-importante talaga ang mga motorcycle— lahat ng mga services nila (here in the Philippines thtat's why motorcycles, and their services, are vital)," he said.

"That's why we're trying to see what are the other areas, high-traffic areas, na kung saan pwedeng mag-expand ang ating motorcycle services na tinatawag (where we can expand these motorcycle services)," he added.

Decongestion

President Marcos said the government is working on relocating the regional offices of government agencies out of the metropolis to their respective regions.

"Ayusin na natin para naman yung mga regional offices, halimbawa, ay mapunta nga sa regional center, hindi na maiwan dito sa Maynila (Let's fix this so the regional offices will be in their regional centers)," he said.

Marcos added that the government is building more bypass roads so travelers going to other provinces would not have to go through Metro Manila anymore.

"Kung minsan hindi naman patungo sa Metro Manila, kung hindi ibang pupuntahang probinsya. Ngunit walang ibang dadaanan kung hindi sa loob talaga ng Metro Manila, ayan na ang traffic (Sometimes they're not going to Metro Manila but in other provinces. But since there's no other way, they have to pass by Metro Manila, causing traffic)," he said.

"Kaya yung imprastraktura na ating ginagawa, mga bypass, malalaking tulay... gagawin natin 'yan upang ang Manila malaking pagbawas ng traffic (That's why the infrastructure projects such as the bypass roads in big bridges, we'll finish them. That's a big decrease in Manila's traffic)," he added.

Nighttime roadworks

President Marcos likewise suggested the construction of roadworks at night when fewer vehicles are traversing the roads.

"Yung gabi halos walang traffic, yun gawin natin yung roadworks doon (There's almost no traffic at night so let's do the roadworks then)," he said.

"Hangga't maaari, 'wag lang ma-delay... Palagay ko, lalo na sa mga local feeder road pwedeng gawin yun (As much as possible, there should be no delays. I think this is possible especially in the local feeder roads)," he added.