President Marcos' decision to defer the EDSA rehabilitation in favor of developing modern, more efficient building techniques shows that he cares about the interest of Filipinos.
Thus, said Parañaque 2nd district representative-elect Brian Raymund Yamsuan in a statement Monday morning, June 2.
“This move shows a caring President who always takes into consideration the welfare and interests of the Filipino people,” said Yamsuan, Bicol Saro Party-list's lone nominee in the current 19th Congress.
Marcos has ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and other concerned agencies to further study and concretize plans on how to better implement the EDSA rebuild project by speeding up its construction to six months using modern technology.
The Chief Executive made the decision to lessen the inconvenience it would bring to commuters and motorists.
The 23.8-kilometer EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) is the main thoroughfare in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila
Yamsuan said the cost of inconveniencing motorists and commuters, which could have led to a daily “carmageddon” on EDSA lasting at least two years had the rebuild proceeded as scheduled, far outweigh the expected benefits from the project.
He pointed to a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which estimated economic losses resulting from traffic congestion in Metro Manila at around P3.5 billion daily, which could reach P5.4 billion by 2035 without any significant infrastructure improvements.
“There is no argument that the decades-old EDSA needs to be rebuilt and rehabilitated," noted Yamsuan.
"But as the President had correctly pointed out, this should be done using modern construction techniques to speed up the implementation of the project and significantly shorten the time that it would burden motorists and commuters,” added the solon, a member of the House Committee on Transportation.
The P8.7-billion EDSA rehabilitation was initially scheduled to begin on June 13, starting with the Pasay City to Shaw Boulevard segment. It was expected to last until 2027.