DOTr’s Dizon: High-capacity mass transit key to solving traffic

Newly sworn in Transportation Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon emphasized on Friday that the government was prioritizing the development of high-capacity mass transit systems—such as the Metro Manila Subway and North-South Commuter Railway—to address traffic congestion in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“The ultimate solution to traffic is really mass transit... high-capacity mass transit," Dizon said. "[Pag may] high capacity [mass transit], hindi na kailangan mag kotse. Kasi ang kotse, dalawa lang o apat ang kasya. [Kapag] high capacity, daan-daan ang kasya doon," Dizon said. 

(With a high-capacity system, people won’t need to rely on cars, which only accommodate two to four passengers. In contrast, mass transit can transport hundreds at a time.)

Dizon shared that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had directed the fast-tracking of these infrastructure projects such as the Metro Manila Subway.

"I spoke at length with the President about this, and the first thing he said, all these [high-capacity mass transit] projects have to be fast-tracked. Ang sinabi niya, unang-una, the ongoing [construction of the] Metro Manila Subway, kailangan bilisan. That is a game changer for all of us.” 

Expressing his hope for a world-class subway system in the Philippines, Dizon added: “Ako talaga, [ang] wish ko lang [eh] na tayong lahat dito sa kwartong to at mga kababayan natin, in our lifetime, ma-experience natin may subway tayo sa Pilipinas na maayos, world class, like those in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore. Iyon ang unang unang priority ng Presidente, kailangan bilisan ‘yan. Pangalawa, iyong North-South Commuter Railway.” 

(My wish is for all of us here, and for our fellow Filipinos, to experience a subway system in our lifetime—one that is efficient and world-class, like those in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore. That’s why the President has made this his top priority. The second is the North-South Commuter Railway.)

Dizon lamented the country’s lag in infrastructure development, despite being one of the first in Asia to build a light rapid transit system with the Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1.

“It is very depressing na tayong unang-unang nagkaroon ng rail [system] sa Asia tapos ngayon, nagkukumahog tayo rito,” Dizon said.

(It’s frustrating that we were pioneers in rail transport, yet now we are struggling to catch up.)

He stressed the urgency of completing the subway, saying, “[Kaya] itong subway, kailangan matapos nang mabilis. ‘Yun ang critical dyan. Pero, kung ang subway natin will take 15 years, eh, matagal naman masyado yun. [Dapat] bilisan natin."

(We must finish this as quickly as possible. If it takes 15 years, that’s far too long. We need to accelerate construction.)

Dizon underscored the impact of these projects on easing Metro Manila’s traffic and reducing the daily commute burden for workers traveling from nearby provinces.

“If we have the connectivity, if you live in Bulacan or Pampanga, you won’t even need to rent an apartment in Metro Manila because your travel time will just be at one hour for one way,” he explained.

Beyond mass transit, Dizon noted that President Marcos also wanted regional airports improved to boost tourism.

“Our regional airports... we need them to be well maintained, especially in tourist attractions like Siargao, Palawan. That is very important,” he said.

Dizon was sworn in as the new secretary of the Department of Transportation on Friday. — DVM, GMA Integrated News