Duterte cites improved transport sector, claims EDSA decongested amid Metro Manila quarantine

President Rodrigo Duterte in his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday touted the improvements in the country’s transportation system, including the decongestion of EDSA, which he said paved away the misery of the commuting public.

In his speech, Duterte cited several projects such as the Skyway Stage 3  public-private partnership project, which he said reduced heavy traffic in EDSA, the country’s busiest highway.

“We have taken away the misery of public commuting,” he said.

“Thanks to our partnership with the private sector, we are able to open Stage 3 of the Metro Manila Skyway in January this year. This decongested EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila,” he added.

The Skyway Stage 3 Project was launched in 2014, under the term of the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has continuously talked about the improvement of the traffic situation in EDSA, but did not identify the link to the ongoing quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila and nearby areas.

The NCR Plus bubble — Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal — has been under quarantine since March 2020 that restricted movement, kept workers at home and made students study online.

Duterte also noted projects such as the lessened breakdowns of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, the extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2) and the upgrade of the Clark International Airport.

Duterte in the same speech apologized to residents of Davao, his bailiwick, as he claimed he told economic managers to focus on other areas first.

The President also said he told authorities not to look into the political entrails of Davao City and other provinces.

“Why is Davao last? Kasi sinabi ko sa kanila, unahin ninyo ‘yung buong Pilipinas [I told them to prioritize the rest of the Philippines] during initial years of my presidency,” he said.

“For the Davaoeños, you must understand that we cannot really. Unahin natin ‘yung… kasi taga diyan ako eh. Kung hindi ako siguro taga-Davao tapos na ‘yan, pareho ng iba kaya lang sinabi ko make Davao the last priority. Totoo ‘yan,” he added.

[Prioritize the… Because I am from there. If I wasn’t from there, that would be finished for sure like the rest, but I told them to make Davao the last priority.]

Duterte was referring to the Davao Coastal Road Project set to be completed after Duterte’s term in 2023.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno, then Budget and Management Secretary,  in 2016 said the administration has allocated P8.2 trillion from 2017 to 2022 to fund what he then called the "golden age of infrastructure."

This initially covered 75 flagship projects, but the list has since been updated as several big-ticket projects have been scrapped due to feasibility issues. A total of nine projects from the list have so far been completed.—LDF, GMA News