President Marcos Jr. wants to develop rail transport, improve roads

The new administration is banking on more infrastructure by way of more railways and better roads to fuel the country’s economic recovery. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is focusing infrastructure efforts towards railways 

This was emphasized by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his first State Of the Nation Address (SONA) held July 25. In his speech, Marcos declared a continuation of the previous administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, focusing on the country’s infrastructure system. 

‘We shall confidently build on this firm foundation established by my predecessor,. As it is building an edifice,” he said. “We must keep the momentum, and aspire to ‘Build Better More,’” a play on his popular initials, BBM. 

Speaking in front of both houses of Congress, assembled government officials, and guests, Marcos noted that the government so far has not been able to take full advantage of the country’s rail transport system. 

The ongoing MRT-7 construction is one of a dozen railway projects all over the country  

He pointed out that there are a dozen rail projects in various stages of completion all over the country, with a combined cost of Php 1.9 trillion. These include the 23-kilometer Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway Project, the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway System, and the 102-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project.

“It is clear in our mind that railways offer great potential as it continues to be the cheapest way of transporting goods and passengers,” he said, directing the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to modernize to upgrade the country’s transport systems, including airports. 

To this end, the DOTr affirmed its commitment to complying with the President’s orders. “We will build upon the dozens of aviation-related projects completes in the past administration and identify areas for technical upgrade to allow them to enhance their operational capabilities,” said DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista on the agency’s Facebook page.

Road improvement projects will reportedly continue

President Marcos added that work will continue on road and transportation systems across the country with projects such as the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, Davao High Priority Bus System, Ilocos Norte Transportation Hub, and El Nido Transport Terminal. 

“I will not suspend any of the ongoing projects as those have already been shown to be of benefit to the public that they serve. I will continue to study the proposals that have been made,” he pledged. 

Learn more about the government’s plans for mobility at Philkotse.com.