Cordova, Monique C.

BSA 4-1
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 19) The 35-billion peso
road project to link Cavite to Laguna breaks ground Monday with
the aim of cutting travel time from 2 hours to just 45 minutes.

The expressway, referred to as the Cavite-Laguna Expressway

(CALAX) will link Kawit to Bian and will span 45 km with eight
interchanges.

The thoroughfare will not only help decongest Metro Manila traffic
by 2020, but will also support cities around southern Luzon where
malls, factories, subdivisions and schools are fast sprouting.

"CALAX will be one of the most advanced highways in the

Philippines. It expected to ease traffic congestion along Governor's
Drive, Aguinaldo Highway and Santa Rosa Tagaytay Road," Public
Works Secretary Mark Villar had noted.
The closed-system, modern-tolled expressway was awarded by the
government to private concessionaire MPCALA Holdings, Inc. of the
Metro Pacific Group, who won the competitive bidding under the
government's public-private partnership (PPP) program.

It is one of 12 PPP deals forged during the Aquino administration.

There's hope that CALAX would show what the private sector can
contribute to the country. Under the Duterte presidency, the
government has preferred to take on projects alone or rely on
foreign loans instead.

But economic managers say they are open to different modes of

building infrastructure whatever will get things done in the
fastest and cheapest way possible.
 My Reflection
Personally, Ive already experienced the 2-hour travel from Calamba City to Cavite City
through Carmona Exit (SLEX). The traffic was no joke, and I told my mom, was there no
other way around? She says no, and I was so flustered because you have to go through that
different stop lights, traffics and everything. Well there is also another fast way which is the
MCX exit, but it also takes you for about 1 and a half hour or more and considering the cost
of the toll fee, it is more expensive and it just cut your trip for just half an hour.

Well this is so beneficial, especially to those who are working in the area of Industrial parks
in Binan City/Sta Rosa City because the main focus of the route is accessible mainly through
that area.

I also see that this will have a huge impact in the traffic that is happening around Metro
Manila and Cavite. This will truly lessen the traffic because even though there are already
alternative routes like the CAVITEX and the MCX, it is not practicable for people residing in
Laguna to go through those alternatives because it will cost them even more and not all of
the times a favorable traffic condition will come.

As for the government, it is a big help for them. They are also trying to lessen the traffic that
is being experienced by the people and with the help of the private sector behind this
project, it will help the traffic condition a lot without the getting the government spending
so much.