President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said he would focus on improving the country’s transportation system.
During the launching of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in Valenzuela, the president said an efficient transportation system would have “multiplier effects” on society.
“Having an effective and efficient transportation system will have multiplier effects on employment, the economy, and our society. It will also bring comfort, convenience, and an easier life for all,” he said.
“We will continue to invest and improve on our transportation systems as well as pursue more projects in the years to come, so that Filipinos can gain greater access to places of work, commerce, recreation and other vital areas,” he added.
The MMSP, which will have 17 stations connecting Valenzuela to Pasay, is expected to accommodate 519,000 passengers daily once it becomes operational.
“Let the launching of this tunnel boring machine become a testament to this administration’s commitment to continue to projects of the previous administration and more importantly build better more,” he said.
Matsuda Kenichi, the minister and deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, said the construction of the subway system marked the start of a “new dawn” for the country’s transportation system.
“This subway will help ease congestion and carbon dioxide emission in Metro Manila and thereby benefit the well-being of more commuters. Enhanced productivity for all is also seen to result from improved reliability and punctuality embedded in the subway technologies,” Kenichi pointed out. John Ezekiel J. Hirro