Former senator Francis “Kiko “ Pangilinan is urging concerned agencies to speed up the completion of major infrastructure projects in the Southern Tagalog region to address the worsening traffic problem in the area.
In a statement, Pangilinan said the completion of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) and the South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 (SLEX-TR4) will result to the faster and smoother delivery of goods in other parts of the country, which will subsequently ease the rising cost of goods.
“Hindi lang trapik ang problema, kabuhayan at pagkain din ang nakataya. Kailangang matapos agad ang CALAX at SLEX-TR4 para mapababa ang presyo ng bilihin at mapadali ang biyahe ng manggagawa (Traffic congestion is not the only problem but also livelihood and food. The Calax and SLEX-TR4 projects should immediately be finished so we can lower food prices and bring commuter comfort),” he said.
He said the delayed completion of the road projects has made commuters and businesses in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, and Rizal experience worsening traffic congestion.
According to JICA’s 2023 study, Metro Manila’s traffic alone costs the country P3.5 billion daily, with a significant portion of the burden affecting workers and industries in the Southern Tagalog region due to inefficient road networks.
The study also showed that farmers and small businesses, especially in Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon, are among the hardest hit, with high transport costs leading to higher food prices and income losses.
