Newly-appointed Transport Secretary Vince Dizon has vowed to fast-track major transportation infrastructure projects under the government’s Build Better More (BBM) program to address long-standing traffic issues causing economic strain in the Philippines.
Following his appointment and oath-taking before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, Dizon vowed to ensure efficiency in the country’s transportation systems and easing the daily challenges commuters face. Citing a 2018 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which estimated traffic congestion costing the Philippines P3.5 billion daily, Dizon emphasized the urgency of reform.
“Our objective is simple: speed up and fix our transportation systems to make them safe,” Dizon said.
Dizon said President Marcos specifically told him to prioritize infrastructure projects. “We have to fast-track all the ongoing projects of past administrations and also start the projects that are in the pipeline,” Dizon added.
“What is really needed here is a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach. All our partners need to understand that they need to contribute to the projects we need to make,” he emphasized.
The high-priority projects include the New Cebu International Container Port, the Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake Ferry River System Project, and major railway initiatives such as the Metro Manila Subway and North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR). Also in the pipeline are the Mindanao Railway Project, MRT-4, and PNR South Long Haul.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is also pushing for expansion within the road sector, including the EDSA Busway Project and the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), while strengthening its active transport program. These developments aim to alleviate congestion and enhance mobility across the country, in alignment with the government’s broader infrastructure goals.
