Road bump in ‘matuwid na daan’

From transportations to ports, there seems to be no respite to traffic congestion all over the Philippines. But, as a spin to this otherwise perennial problem in our national road networks, highways and air travel, President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III points to the country’s booming economy to be largely causing the trouble of moving people and goods from one place to another.

An economics graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, President Aquino explained that it is the downside of the creation of wealth that is fueling and driving the Philippine economy. Dubbed as “Aqui-nomics,” his economic managers joined the chorus to paint a very rosy picture of the greater spending power of Filipinos under the “inclusive growth” policy of his administration.

However, the third quarter performance of the Philippine economy has in fact, slowed down sharply due to weaker growth in all sectors. The economy grew by 5.3 percent from July to September from a year ago, well below the projected 6.6 percent rise. It is also lower compared to the 6.4 percent growth in the previous three months from a year-ago level.

As measured in terms of the gross domestic product (GDP), it notably fell to a three-year low with the slowest pace of growth since 2011. The Aquino administration has finally conceded the slower GDP was largely due to lower government spending.

Interviewed by BBC a few weeks ago, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima admitted the Philippine government still has a lot of fiscal spending room to accelerate expenditure.

“The elements for growth are all there. Although this is a bump in the road, we believe the trajectory for the economy is still pointed in the right direction,” Purisima said.

Purisima’s reference to “bump in the road” was a figurative one. Or was it a subconscious thought of “bumps” due to diggings all over the place, especially around Metro Manila. The bumper-to-bumper traffic best describes the slowdown in vehicular movement. It is no longer only during rush hours but now at any hour of the day.

The traffic congestion turning for the worse is a self-inflicted problem by this administration in the last stretch of President Aquino’s term.

This came to a head when the Aquino administration – on its catch-up mode – commenced its last-two-minute infrastructure projects. The bulk of the projects are all taking place at the same time in Metro Manila.

From the NLEX-SLEX Connector to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Expressway project to the Parañaque Bridge, repairs have constricted roads in areas connecting the cities of Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. This is not to mention vehicular accidents on these narrowed roads that further snarl traffic. And if these traffic woes are not enough, see what happens when it rains and floods. 

Hellish traffic ensued last Friday until Monday morning when thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) followers heeded their leaders’ call to join protest rallies at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Padre Faura in Manila and later transferred to EDSA in Mandaluyong City. The internal leadership row at the INC and the INC’s legal problems with the DOJ were relegated to the backseat, and their traffic-stopping protest rallies became the national issue instead.

President Aquino had to intervene and micro-manage the traffic problem. He ordered the immediate clearing of six major intersections or “choke points” along EDSA, a major road artery in Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares.

The presidential directives came during a meeting in Malacañang a day after the INC called off their protest rallies in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. The President directed the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Highway Patrol Group to lead clearing operations with the help of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The “major intersections” to be cleared along EDSA are Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Taft Avenue. Among the immediate actions to be undertaken include stricter enforcement of the bus lanes along EDSA, clearing of obstructions on EDSA and setting up of alternate routes and continuing consultations with bus and public utility operators, truckers and port users and other stakeholders. 

Despite the noteworthy initiatives and innovations of MMDA chief Francis Tolentino to help ease traffic in Metro Manila, the last-two minute infrastructure binge of the Aquino administration did the most damage to whatever improvements were done.

Based on government figures that Tolentino cited, for every four vehicles sold, at least one goes to Metro Manila.

He said the Philippines has the highest vehicle sales next to Vietnam in the Southeast Asian region.

Currently, Tolentino said 22,000 vehicles are being sold  all over the country every month. Out of eight million motor vehicles registered nationwide, he said 2.4 million are in Metro Manila. Sadly, he pointed out, there are no new roads being built.

Trying to explain the MMDA predicament, Tolentino said the entire stretch from Aparri to Jolo would total 199,960 kilometers. Of this, he said the Metro Manila road network accounts for 5,035 kilometers, or about 2.5 percent. Now, put the 2.4 million motor vehicles together at one time, and you would get the picture.

Unfortunately for the MMDA chairman, he has to bear the brunt of the blame for the traffic mess in Metro Manila. After being named as one of the possible senatorial candidates of the Aquino administration in the May 2016 elections, the Metro Manila traffic mess would be the road bump to Tolentino’s senatorial bid in “matuwid na daan.”

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Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos, NCRPO chief Joel Pagdilao, and Atty. Ferdinand Topacio will discuss what took place in the INC protest rallies on EDSA in this week’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay at the Luneta Hotel in T.M. Kalaw St., Manila.