Marcos: Developing nearby provinces to improve NCR traffic

As part of the long-term solution to Metro Manila’s worsening traffic situation, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday vowed to develop nearby provinces and cities.

“Traffic ang isa sa pinakamatinding problema natin dito sa bansa. Nakaklungkot man ay isa na itong bahagi ng pamumuhay ng bawat Pilipino at tanyag na notorious na sa buong mundo ang traffic dito sa Pilipinas,” Marcos said in his five-minute vlog.

(Traffic is one of our biggest problems in this country. Sadly, it's been a part of every Filipino's life, and the traffic in the Philippines is notorious all over the world.)

He noted that many Filipinos saw and experienced the heavy traffic in the country especially last week, during Holy Week, when many motorists were leaving Metro Manila.

“Congested ang Metro Manila, kung kaya bahagi talaga ng plano ay mai-develop ang mga kalapit na probinsya at siyudad. ‘Yan ang mga nakikita natin ngayong development,” he added.

(Metro Manila is congested, so part of the plan is to develop the neighboring provinces and cities. That's what we see in this development.)

Among the projects he mentioned are the the development projects in Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, and Laguna which are expected to create more job opportunities outside of Metro Manila to also ease the traffic situation.

He, however, stressed that this is not an immediate solution. These were major projects so he asked the public for patience.

“Kaya naman dapat nating isipin na hindi bukas na natin mararamdaman ito dahil, malaki talaga yung scale, at kung minsan pa nga nakaka-abala pa sa traffic ngayon, kaya’t pag-tiyagaan niyo lang pero pagka nabuo na yan asahan niyo gaganda ang sitwasyon natin,” he said.

(That's why we shouldn't expect immediate results as these are large-scale projects, and sometimes it will even affect the current traffic. So let us be patient. But I can assure you that when developed, we can expect an improvement in the traffic situation.)

While long-term infrastructure solutions are underway, Marcos said immediate traffic relief was still needed. So, he urged the public to share their insights and possible solutions to ease the traffic.

“Together, we can conquer Metro Manila's traffic situation. Join the conversation at the Traffic Summit by sharing your insights in the comments,” said the President.

During a recent Cabinet meeting, Marcos ordered government agencies to submit their recommendations on how their respective offices would adjust and configure their work environment.

According to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Marcos wanted a comprehensive and holistic approach to solving the traffic problem, not the “piecemeal approach” of the previous administrations, which appeared to be less effective. — DVM, GMA Integrated News