Traffic Summit set

CEBU, Philippines — The national government will hold a traffic summit this week to discuss possible solutions to the problem, which, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. admitted, has gained notoriety among visitors from other countries.

The President cited the need for immediate relief from traffic while long-term infrastructure solutions are underway.

"Together, we can conquer Metro Manila's traffic situation. Join the conversation at the Traffic Summit by sharing your insights in the comments!" the President said in a Facebook post yesterday.

The summit is on Wednesday, April 10.

In a video that accompanied the post, Marcos said state agencies and local governments would tackle the problem in detail and encouraged the public to take part in the discussions.

"Participate even through the comments section so we would know your ideas and thoughts," he said.

Describing traffic congestion as one of the worst problems in the country, the President said it is saddening that the situation is already part of the life of every Filipino.

"Hindi rin natin maipagkaila na tanyag o notorious na sa buong mundo ang traffic dito sa Pilipinas," the Chief Executive said.

The video then showed a clip of Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin singing about the "completely insane" traffic in Manila during the band's concert in the country last January.

Marcos was among those who watched the concert and was even criticized for using a presidential chopper to travel to the concert venue. The Presidential Security Command defended Marcos' use of the helicopter, saying the traffic situation had posed a "potential threat" to his safety.

In 2018, the Japan International Cooperation Agency released a study indicating that the traffic congestion in Metro Manila is costing the Philippines P3.5 billion a day. According to the traffic index of digital navigation site TomTom, Metro Manila has the worst traffic congestion among Metro areas last year.

Marcos said previous administrations have tried various solutions to the traffic jam and yielded mixed results. He said that while Filipinos are already used to the problem, the search for solutions should not stop.

The President noted that while the construction of infrastructure like bridges, flyovers, skyways, subways, and train systems is ongoing, the population and number of vehicles continue to increase.

He said Metro Manila is already congested so part of the plans of the government is to develop nearby provinces and cities like Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, and Laguna. Efforts to improve roads, bridges and airports are also ongoing, the President said.

He, however, acknowledged that while creating opportunities outside Metro Manila would help ease the problem, it would not provide an immediate solution because it involves huge projects that may even cause a slow-moving traffic.

"Just be patient…. Once they are completed, you can be sure that our situation will improve," Marcos said.

He also admitted that there are areas outside Metro Manila whose infrastructure had failed to keep up with their growing population. He said these areas have roads that need to be widened or have local traffic rules that are not effective.

"But, what we Filipinos lack more on the road is discipline. We have to obey traffic rules. We act as if we will run out of roads. Even if we have new roads, they won't matter if our attitude remains old," Marcos said.

The President urged motorists to give way to fellow drivers and to thank those who did the same to them.

The new Filipino, Marcos said, should not act as if he is the king of the road, and such an attitude should begin with workers of the government.

"Abuses and disregard for traffic rules are not part of our privilege and our sworn duties as public servants," he said.

Marcos went on to enumerate the solutions and innovations adopted by some companies during the pandemic. They include the work from home setup, which allows employees to perform their duties as long as there is a reliable internet access; four-day work week, which he said has been adopted by some countries in Europe; and the adjustment of working hours to avoid the rush hour.

"All of these are good solutions that can help address our traffic situation," Marcos said.

The traffic situation in the country was one of the topics discussed during the full Cabinet meeting in Malacañang last Wednesday. During the meeting, Marcos ordered agencies to come up with a "comprehensive" solution to the problem.—PhilStar/RHM (CEBU NEWS)