Former DOF head calls for action on traffic woes

MANILA, Philippines -  The government should take concrete actions to address road and air traffic congestion, a business leader and a former cabinet official said.

Roberto de Ocampo, Makati Business Club co-vice chairman and former secretary of finance, said the planning stage on addressing the country’s traffic woes – both in land and air – needs to stop now and concrete actions should begin.

“We urge both public and private sector to think along the lines of action. We cannot continue to discuss this to death or beyond the life of this administration,” De Ocampo said.

“I am under the impression that this administration presents itself as a doer. We are urging that it is not the time for us to have another 21 years in deliberation. This is the time for us to have a decision and to get on with it. I think the administration is best served, looking at options that could be doable within the life of this administration,” he said.

Over two decades ago, the Ramos administration has recognized the urgency to develop Clark International Airport and to implement a dual airport strategy to address the problems at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in handling traffic demands.

“In the 21 years that have taken place since we made this initial recommendation which simply echoed time and time again, Bangkok has a modern airport, Vietnam has a modern airport, and so on,” De Ocampo said.

As far as road traffic is concerned, De Ocampo said no amount of emergency powers is going to keep vehicles from crawling along the major city’s roads for the next decade.

He said the government should simply have to disperse the city outwards.

“We have known these problems for a long time and the time has come for us to do something about it. That opportunity presents itself to us now by looking at it not just as airports, not just as traffic, but a chance in a lifetime to deal with all in one go and create a megalopolis, a modern airport facility, a modern port facility and a center for economic activity which either match Singapore or even exceed it,” De Ocampo said.

“We urge both public and private sector to think big. This is not just about airports, this is not just about solving traffic. This about capturing all those problems in one united, coherent, development plan that hits a lot of places all at the same time which is within the capability of the national government with the help of the private sector. Other countries did it, why should we not be able to?” he said.