Ang backpedals, revives interest in PAREX

MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), opposed by green and mobility groups, may still happen after all, with San Miguel Corp. (SMC) adjusting the proposal to consider the public’s insights on it.

On the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing yesterday, SMC president and CEO Ramon Ang said the company is open to pursuing the P100 billion toll road above the Pasig River.

Likewise, Ang said the diversified conglomerate has no plans of submitting a formal withdrawal of the project from the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), noting that it will entail financial charges if the company pulls out of it.

As such, SMC has decided to keep its doors open to building the toll road, but committed to take a different approach this time.

Ang said SMC is adjusting its proposal to take into account the issues raised by environmental and mobility advocates.

“We are addressing the concerns because there are concerns that it is ugly, it is too small, it is too big. We are trying to address the concerns, that’s why it is on hold for now,” Ang said.

If SMC manages to develop a revised proposal that benefits the public, the company may pursue the construction of PAREX, a reversal from Ang’s previous pronouncement that he will scrap the project in deference to mounting opposition.

In March, Ang said he is heeding public opinion in his decision to abandon PAREX, as it is faced with protest from environmental defenders and urban planners.

PAREX will run for about 20 kilometers above the Pasig River from Radial 10 to C6 road to connect the eastern and western portions of the metro.

“I proposed a Pasig River tollway to decongest the east and west (of Metro Manila]) However, it was opposed by the people because they said it violates their sensitivities and it looks bad,” Ang had said.

“Have you heard us pushing for the project? We no longer did. We are sensitive and we listen to the pulse of the people. We are very sensitive to the opinion of the public,” he explained.

Based on the proposal with the Department of Public Works and Highways, SMC is planning to spend P99.5 billion to put up PAREX, of which P95.4 billion is for civil works and P4.14 billion is for right of way.

If SMC changes its mind and pursues PAREX, the company has to file a final engineering design for the project for the review of the TRB.