Build Better More, the flagship program behind President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s massive infrastructure projects nationwide, has been a constant work in progress, as exemplified by the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway, better known as the CAVITEX.
It is a 14-kilometer expressway spanning from Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City to the province of Cavite, south of Metro Manila. It currently consists of the R-1 and R1 extensions, traversing the southern coast of Manila Bay.
It serves as one of Metro Manila’s major road arteries, linking the National Capital Region not only to major cities in the south but also to the rest of the Philippine expressway network.
Its construction began on December 27, 1994, through a Joint Venture Agreement between then-Public Estates Authority (PEA), now the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), and the Malaysian group of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and Renong Berhad (Renong).
The project was first conceptualized as the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP), known as the Coastal Road, which was intended to be a major component of expanding and modernizing a network of inter-urban roads traversing six locales: Parañaque and Las Piñas in Metro Manila, as well as Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, and Noveleta in the province of Cavite.
Plans are now underway to further expand and extend CAVITEX to allow motorists to travel more freely throughout the expressway, easing traffic congestion on municipal roads and diverting the flow of traffic to wider highways that can accommodate greater vehicular volume.
Under the Office of the President, PRA commits to supporting President Marcos’ “Build Better More” vision through its collaboration with the CAVITEX Infrastructure Corporation (CIC) and the Metro-Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC).
In past years, the CIC solely managed the project; however, in 2024 it was shared with the Public Estate Authority Corporation (PEAC), a subsidiary of the PRA. Under Clause 15.03 (1) of the TOA [toll operations agreement], the PEAC is designated to collect toll fees, which shall then be distributed to the PRA and the former UEM-MARA Philippine Corp. (UMPC), now CIC, in accordance with the sharing arrangement set forth in the joint venture agreement (JVA) and TOA.
PEAC’s agreement with CIC includes a 10% share of the profit from CAVITEX toll roads; with a daily revenue of P9 million, even a mere tenth is good news for the national government.
CAVITEX Expansion to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila
And in even better news: on June 21, 2024, three ceremonies were held along sections of the CAVITEX expressway, led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.: the groundbreaking ceremonies of the CAVITEX-CALAX Link in Kawit, Cavite, and the CAVITEX C5 Link Segment 3B in Parañaque City, as well as the inauguration of the CAVITEX C5 Link Sucat Interchange.
“These three milestone projects bring to reality our promise to transform the lives of millions of Filipinos, by systematically easing traffic flow in the greater Metro Manila area,” President Marcos said in his speech.
The 1.2-kilometer CAVITEX-CALAX Link, originating in Kawit, Cavite, is expected to improve the road network connectivity from Kawit to the rest of the CALABARZON region, easing congestion at the intersection of Tirona Highway and Centennial Road in Cavite.
The CAVITEX C5 Link Expressway Segment 3B is a 2-kilometer road from Sucat Interchange to E. Rodriguez Avenue in C5, Taguig City. Developers plan for the extension to greatly reduce travel time from the CAVITEX R1 Expressway Section to SLEX/C5 Road, with an estimated reduction from 40 minutes to just 10 minutes.
The Chief Executive further referred to the CAVITEX C5 Link Sucat Interchange, part of the completed CAVITEX C5 Link Expressway Segment 2, a “dramatic improvement from the usual one-hour travel time via existing public roads from Kawit, Cavite.” The said segment is set to benefit around 23,000 vehicles a day.
“I am pleased to have inaugurated this fitting centerpiece that will connect several major roads in Sucat with CAVITEX,” President Marcos said.
Transforming Lives, Generating Progress for the Masses
Ronaldo Solomon, a TNVS driver who has to travel back and forth daily from Cavite to Metro Manila, is very grateful for the CAVITEX project, saying this means less travel time and less fuel expenses. “Malaking bagay sa akin at sa pamilya ko ang CAVITEX. ’Yong perang matitipid ko para sa gas, dagdag na budget para sa pagkain at ’yong mas maikling oras sa biyahe ay para naman sa family bonding,” Solomon said.
This is also the view of Carlo Icawat, a third-year college student at the University of the East who goes home every Friday after his classes. “Thanks to CAVITEX, the bus trip from Manila to Cavite is now bearable. Less traffic and less travel time,” he added.
Through the PEAC’s management of CAVITEX along with the CIC, the Philippine Reclamation Authority fulfilled one of its advocacies of supporting the Filipino people by suspending the collection of toll fees for all vehicle types passing through the expressway for 30 days earlier in 2024.
This comes at the heels of the PRA’s proposal to suspend, as operator of the CAVITEX, the collection of toll fees for all types of vehicles passing through the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway in Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Bacoor, and Kawit for 30 days. This will introduce our new roads and expressways to those who are in need of that transport system,” the President said in his speech during the groundbreaking and inauguration of the three segments. “So, we welcome this call and thank the PRA for its initiative to help mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs on our motorists.”
The Chief Executive stressed that these flagship projects are the results of “a great deal of hard work, thorough planning, and collaborative efforts” of the PRA, the CIC, and MPTC, the CIC’s principal company.
With the expansion of the Manila-Cavite Expressway, motorists from north to south can expect a smoother flow of traffic throughout the metropolis. The project’s goals are to ensure, among others, a faster transport of goods from remote provinces; and if goods are transported more quickly, fast deliveries of freshly harvested products and good profits follow.
Through its subsidiary PEAC, the Philippine Reclamation Authority commits to good management of CAVITEX and its extensions, bringing to life President Marcos’ vision of “Bagong Pilipinas.”
As the Chief Executive said, “Let us not just build roads; let us build connections that will unite and bring us closer than ever, and create pathways that will be the stream through which our vibrant society will pulse.” (PBS)
