MPT South explores PPP for new expressway

MANILA, Philippines — Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways (MPT) South Corp. is considering the possibility of implementing the Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway (CTBEX) in Southern Tagalog as a public-private partnership (PPP) with local governments.

MPT South has been granted original proponent status for the project since 2018, but it has yet to receive national government approval to proceed with construction.

Meanwhile, tycoon Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corp. has secured the concession to put up the P27 billion Cavite-Batangas Expressway (CBEX) through an agreement with the Cavite government.

MPT South, however, believes that the government must choose only one between the two expressways.

“When we filed the proposal for CTBEX, the option to do PPP with local governments has yet to be mainstreamed, that’s why we took the route of the national government. It is now something that is being discussed with the local government units,” MPT South president and general manager Raul Ignacio said.

“While there is a statement from the public works secretary that CTBEX and CBEX can co-exist, we believe that it is something that we need to settle with the secretary because the right of way for these two projects is really competing,” he said.

Under the plan, CTBEX will start at Silang, Cavite with a link to the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, also operated by MPT South.

The project extends for 46.2 kilometers and will host interchanges at Pook, Aguinaldo, Amadeo, Tagaytay, Mendez, Alfonso, Magallanes in Cavite and Tuy and Nasugbu in Batangas.

On the other hand, CBEX will stretch for at least 27 kilometers passing through Silang, Amadeo, Tagaytay, Indang, Mendez and Alfonso in Cavite and Nasugbu in Batangas. Ignacio said much of the proposed alignment of CBEX overlaps with CTBEX.

Ignacio likewise asked the government to speed up its decision making process to keep the cost of the project around the same amount as planned. He said that prices of land increase, especially when they stand in the location of big-ticket projects.

“The right of way for CTBEX goes up because of the appreciation of land, especially as people become aware of the development and how it actually boosts the cost of their land,” Ignacio said.

CTBEX seeks to provide an alternative route for motorists going to Tagaytay and Batangas given that the Aguinaldo Highway becomes too congested during holidays and weekends.