Issue 9 AY 11-12
As a commuter, I have experienced my fair share of the so called, “good and bad times for commuting.” It is usually a bad day to commute during morning and afternoon rush hours. This leaves us the times in between the rush hours as the better time for travelling. I travel from place to place, usually by public transportation or by private vehicle, but the most common inconvenience that a commuter would face is that of heavy traffic. Countless of times we’ve heard our friends, family, and colleagues mutter the same excuse: “It’s so traffic here! Sorry! I’ll be a bit late!” or your friend saying “Maghintay ka lang diyan, malapait na kami. 5 minutes.” But they end up getting there after 20 minutes on top of that 5 due to unexpected traffic clogging up the roads. This is why the Citra – Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) is proposing to the Aquino administration to start a Skyway-style project connecting Buendia to Balintawak. Dubbed the Citra – PNCC Alignment (CPA for short), this project’s main goal is to lessen traffic passing along Edsa, consequently decongesting it. A major detail to take note of from this venture is that the government will not spend a single centavo on the construction of the project. However, the toll will be capped at Php99 for the entire 14-kilometer stretch. Another point is that the project would cost only about 24 billion pesos as opposed to the initial 35 billion as well as the promise by the Citra-PNCC that the project would be finished in 30 months, being well within the term of President Benigno Aquino III.
If the Aquino administration decides to let the project push through Citra-PNCC President and CEO Shadik Wahono state, “everyone, not just motorists and commuters, will benefit from this project.” Motorists, including those who operate public utility vehicles, will experience a less congested road way along Edsa while commuters will enjoy faster travel times. With less vehicles travelling along the road, there will also be less risk of accidents, not to mention having less angry drivers behind the wheel as well.
Other benefits consist of both the direct and indirect effects of the actual construction of the skyway and when it’s completed. According to Wahono (CEO of PNCC), the project would directly stimulate economy due to the employment of the construction workers and the utilization of raw materials to be used for the project. An indirect effect would be the probable increase of land value due to the changes the skyway can impose in the future.
Some argue that it is not probable for the project to be done so cheaply and so quickly, but we cannot doubt the positive effects it has on the citizens. However it may seem alarming that it is not the government who is funding this project, it may also serve as an advantage against those who might criticize the project in the same way that the government-funded MRT/LRT project was criticized.
There is no final word from the Aquino administration on whether or not the project will get the go-ahead signal as of yet, but for me it seems clear what the final decision should be. It will benefit some people for short term duration and will benefit a lot more people through a longer period as well. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Kenneth Geolina, 11B
* Notice to readers: The views expressed in the Weekly Perspective do not necessarily reflect the views of the Academic Committee or of UP POLITICA
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