Every administration wants a legacy project—one that will remind the next generation about the accomplishments of a presidency. President Rodrigo Duterte must act fast if he wants to leave a legacy that will greatly benefit the population.
One such project that could create an immediate and lasting impact on the commuting public is the railway system connecting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City and Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
The Transportation Department revived a proposal to build the railway system using the right-of-way of North Luzon Expressway and Philippine National Railways, with the main terminal situated possibly in Naia itself or the SM-Trinoma corner where a similar central bus station is being planned.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is about to finalize the proposal for submission to the National Economic and Development Authority within 90 days. The proposed rail system aims to promote Clark International Airport as an alternative international gateway to Naia, which is now congested.
A similar project was actually proposed under the Arroyo administration but was shelved by the Aquino government. The proposed railway project, among other things, will decongest cargo and passenger traffic in Naia. The country’s main airport, according to a study of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is expected to exceed its maximum handling capacity of 35 million passengers a year this year, when about 37.78 million passengers troop to the facility.
Railway and other infrastructure projects must be pursued seriously by the Duterte administration in order to propel the economy and for the Philippines to achieve what Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno calls the “golden age” of infrastructure.
The budget chief notes that the government needed at least 10 years of continuous buildup of roads, bridges and railways to make a real difference in the economy.
Diokno knows what he is saying. Local and foreign businessmen complain of poor infrastructure in the Philippines and cite the deficiency as the main reason for losing out to neighboring countries in attracting investments. The government, thus, must exit from the planning stage and step up efforts to build them for the sake of the current and next generation.