General Trias community more accessible via new expressway

When choosing a home, a major concern of Filipino families is the accessibility of major thoroughfares and transportation hubs and its proximity to key establishments and commercial centers.

This is why real estate provider Amaia ensures that its projects across the country allow its homeowners to go to work, do errands, and seek leisure and recreation without having to spend long hours on the road.

In the south, for example, residents of Amaia Scapes General Trias — one of Amaia’s properties in Cavite — will soon easily access lifestyle destinations with the development of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), a four-lane tolled expressway connecting CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite, and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at the Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

Once fully completed, CALAX is expected to ease traffic congestion on Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and on the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, reducing travel time from CAVITEX to SLEX by about 45 minutes.

With CALAX approximately three kilometers or eight minutes away from Amaia Scapes General Trias, it will be an effortless drive or commute to major establishments and economic zones in Cavite and Laguna.

Located at Arnaldo Highway in Brgy. Santiago, in what is regarded as the new edge of growth and development in the CALABARZON, Amaia Scapes General Trias is minutes away from The District Imus and Vermosa.

The project offers 744 house and lot units with floor areas ranging from 25 sqm to 56 sqm. Turnover for Sector 1 is ongoing while turnover for units at Sector 2 will commence on the third quarter of 2018.

Homeowners will enjoy amenities and facilities, a well-guarded village entrance, Village Pavilion swimming pool, patio greens and playground.

“One of the best things is its strategic location, which makes it a flourishing, self-sufficient community,” Cybill Samillano of Amaia Land said. “This project is envisioned to be a mixed-used development that will provide convenience to homeowners. Still, for residents who need to go to nearby shopping malls, service firms, hospitals, industrial estates, and educational institutions, mobility will no longer be an issue upon the completion of CALAX.”

Japanese-style transport efficiency

Arriving in Narita after a red-eye flight, my friend and I easily found the ticket counter for the airport limousine bus and booked a ticket to Tokyo, which was about a two-hour trip. It was literally a door-to-door service that brought two sleepy travelers from the airport to our hotel.

Peering out of our hotel window the next morning, I, in shock and awe, told my friend that the streets were empty.

It was about 8:00 a.m., and there was no rush hour traffic! I was surprised because we were across the street from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. I was expecting Manila-like traffic given that this building houses the offices of the metropolitan government of Tokyo. But, as my friend reminded me, people do not drive here. They commute via a very complex, yet efficient, public transportation system.

After a hearty breakfast, we set off on our first foray into this system. After a 600-meter walk, we reached the station. We reloaded our IC cards (rechargeable cards that can be used to pay fares on public transportation and to make payments at vending machines, shops and restaurants) and entered the station to catch our train.

What astounded me was that when the schedule showed train was arriving at 10:14, it would be there at exactly 10:14! While the arriving train was full, people stayed in their queues, allowing disembarking passengers to exit. We were not able to get on this train, but it was not a big deal. The next train came exactly two minutes after, and this time, we were able to board. Even if this was our first time to go to Shinjuku Gyoen, we did not get lost. Each stop was announced in both Japanese and English.


That afternoon, we experienced another mode of transportation, the taxi. The driver was dressed in a dark suit, cap and gloves. His taxi was immaculate, and while he was not familiar with the restaurant we wanted to go to, he quickly keyed in our destination on his GPS. At the height of what would have been early evening rush hour traffic in another major city, we arrived at our destination in 15 minutes. I asked my friend to track our progress in Waze. We noted that our driver had brought us to the restaurant using the quickest route. No circuitous routes even if we were tourists. The only surprise we got was the cost – 2,650 yen (P1,325 pesos)!

The rest of our trip was hallmarked with the same transport ease and efficiency. A planned overnight trip to see Mt. Fuji was easily achieved. Our bus left on time and traveled on well-paved and traffic-free roads.

Those who know me marvel at the fact that I take public transportation when I travel. And I shamefully admit that I am more familiar with the Hong Kong and Washington D.C. subway systems than with Manila’s. While Manila’s train system still has a long way to go to match the efficiency of Tokyo’s system (even the DC subway system pales in comparison. Tokyo’s has clean restrooms and machines that sell hot and cold drinks!). Here are two suggestions that can encourage more mass transit use: have well-maintained buses and trains that run safely and arrive on time, and have stations that are chaos-free and connected to the commuter’s office building or key tourist spots.

The author is an assistant professor at the Management and Organization Department of De La Salle University. She is currently enjoying her sabbatical. Email: pia.manalastas@dlsu.edu.ph

Eton launches P1-B residential dev’t in Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Eton Properties Philippines, Inc. has launched an 8.7-hectare residential development called TierraBela at Eton City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna with lots worth about P1 billion.

In a statement, Eton said TierraBela is envisioned to be an Italian-Mediterranean enclave where city meets nature with its fully-integrated township.

“We are currently offering our clients the opportunity to invest in lots in TierraBela,” said Eton AVP for Marketing, PR and Corporate Communications Martha Herrera-Subido.

The 8.7-hectare development boasts of generously cut lot areas averaging 323 square meters ensuring spacious homes nestled among refreshing open spaces, said Eton.

According to the company, lots are being sold at about P22,500 to P23,000 per square meter for a price of P4.64 million for a 206 square meter lot. A total of 213 lots are up for sale.

“TierraBela’s lesser density neighborhood, cleaner air, natural light, and close to nature vibe make it an ideal family weekend getaway destination in itself,” said the company.

The village features choice amenities such as fitness trails, parks, playground, picnic and barbecue areas for residents to enjoy. The village clubhouse has an adult and kiddie pool exclusively for the use of residents, basketball court, and a function hall.

TierraBela is fully-integrated with a township that offers diverse options in shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment.

The first phase of which is Eton City Square, a commercial strip which features over 11.5 hectares of a low-rise retail community mall with modern dining choices, retail outlets, and recreational spaces, will be launched this year.

On top of lifestyle and dining choices, the Eton City township will be home to the future campus of University of the East and adjacent to the site of the University of Santo Tomas Sta. Rosa campus.

With a business district in the pipeline, Eton City is envisioned to be an education hub and one of the South’s relevant business districts.

Cavite toll road construction to start

MPCala Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said it expects to start the construction of the Cavite side of the Cavite Laguna Expressway Project by the end of April.

“We expect to break ground in the Cavite side towards the end of April,” MPCala president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

MPCala Holdings earlier tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to build the Cavite side, while local contractor DMCI Consunji Inc. will construct the Laguna side.

Calax, one of the largest public-private partnership projects, involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex (Manila–Cavite Expressway) and South Luzon Expressway.

The P34.5-billion expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in City of Biñan, Laguna.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2020, while operations and maintenance are set from 2020 to 2050.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. is also constructing the P27.9-billion Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway project.

The 8.25-km bridge project, set to be completed by 2020, will connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova.

The group  is also building the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road, an elevated expressway to connect the northern and southern toll road systems at a cost of P23 billion.

Infrastructure to solve Metro Manila transport woes

One of the less headlined updates on the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration is the approval for construction of eight bridges in Metro Manila, all of which would be started this year and eyed for completion by 2022.

This is on top of two bridges that will be strategically located in busy districts of Metro Manila that China has pledged to construct from a P5 billion grant. The first will connect the bustling Binondo and Intramuros districts, and the second will link Estrella Street in Makati to Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong.

There’s another bridge, as part of the BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road project, which together with the two above, would do wonders to help decongest the traffic that moves to and from the south and north of the metro, especially on EDSA, which is now clogged at almost all hours of the day.

The four-lane Sta. Monica to Lawton Bridge over the Pasig River is targeted for completion in early 2020, and will ease travel between the cities of Taguig and Pasig. Together with the completion of the C-6 road, this will finally allow C-5 to breathe.

The new bridges crossing the Pasig and Marikina rivers, as well as the Manggahan Floodway, will be built at an estimated cost of P28 billion. Financing will come from official development assistance funds.

Worsening before getting better

Will all these end Metro Manila commuters’ woes? Definitely, the construction and eventual completion of the new bridges will augment the existing eight bridges in Manila, three that link Makati and Mandaluyong, and one each between Makati and Pasig, and Pasig and Taguig. We will just have to wait for them to be inaugurated for public use.

Currently, the metro has 26 bridges, and adding about a dozen more in the next four years will open major alternative roads connected to new bridges, allowing for smoother flow of vehicles especially during the morning and evening rush hours.

Meanwhile, bear with the continuing escalation of traffic congestion on major thoroughfares of Metro Manila as more vehicles are sold every month despite the vowed dampening of sales with the passage of the new taxes on small cars.

The construction of new roads and elevated railways, as well, will squeeze further, albeit temporarily, the available road space for vehicles in the metro. Definitely, traffic will get worse before getting better.

The Metro Manila Development Authority is already dizzy trying to find solutions ease traffic on the main roads of Metro Manila’s 16 cities and one municipality, and it will be like going against a tsunami-like wave in the next four years.

Ambitious ferry system

One of the congestion-busting projects that MMDA could embark on would be the improvement of the Pasig River ferry system, which has had a long history of failure for various reasons, including low patronage.

The MMDA is operating the river ferry system until a private investor is identified. There are 12 stations that link Plaza Mexico in Intramuros, Manila to Pinagbuhatan Station in Pasig.

A Marikina River line connecting the Guadalupe Station in Makati and the Santa Elena Station in Marikina is in existence, but not operational – again, because of various problems. The same is true for the Laguna Lake ferry operations between Los Baños, Laguna and Binangonan, Rizal.

From a practical point of view, the ferry system offers a commuter system that is reliable, affordable, and time saving in terms of not being bogged down by the usual traffic problems.

The Department of Budget Management’s bright boys have pitched a Pasig River Ferry Convergence Program that will run from Manila Bay to Laguna Lake through Pasig River. The plan will call for 17 additional stations over the next four years, with commuter numbers rising to 76,800 passengers a day.

Cognizant of the tricky nature of ferry operations along the Pasig, the government would do best to keep expectations to manageable levels, meaning to stabilize the operations on the Pasig River line first, and expand eventually when a workable template is achieved.

The envisioned DBM-led ferry system, of course, will be a great disaster mitigation measure in the event of a major disaster in parts of the metropolis – but only if there is a working and sustainable system that the general public is familiar with.

Build Build Build update

Meanwhile, expect this year the start of other flagship transportation-related projects of the Duterte government: the 102-kilometer Mindanao Rail Project (Phase 1) from Tagum, Davao City to Digos in Region 11, the Philippine National Railway North 2 Project, and the 69.5-kilometer extension of the PNR North 1 from Malolos, Bulacan, to Clark International Airport. All are expected completed in 2024.

Also expected to break ground this year are the 639-kilometer PNR South Long-Haul railway Project that will connect Los Baños to Legazpi, Legazpi to Matnog, Calamba to Batangas, and Manila to Los Baños. This will be funded by China.

The first phase of the Japanese-financed Metro Manila Subway Project, a 25.3-km underground railway system connecting Quezon City and Taguig City, and extending to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, will begin next year, and will be completed in 2027.

All these projects will firmly define the current administration’s push for a golden age of infrastructure, an era of aggressive spending on new roads, bridges, ports, and even cities that the country needs to sustain economic growth in the next decades.

Facebook and Twitter

We are actively using two social networking websites to reach out more often and even interact with and engage our readers, friends and colleagues in the various areas of interest that I tackle in my column. Please like us at www.facebook.com and follow us at www.twitter.com/ReyGamboa.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.

MPCALA inks contract for CALAx construction

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) unit MPCALA Holdings Inc. has signed the P7.3 billion contract with Leighton Contractors for the construction of the Cavite side of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAx).

“MPCALA Holdings signed the construction contract with Leighton last March 22,” MPCALA president Luigi Bautista said in a text message.

Asked if the government could break ground on the Cavite segment this month, Bautista said it is unlikely, as the firm would need to check with the Department of Public Works and Highways first to be able to set a date.

Earlier, Bautista said the firm expects to conduct the groundbreaking on the Cavite side of the project within the month.

MPCALA was awarded the P35.43 billion CALAx project under the public-private partnership program in 2015.

A 45-km tollway CALAx will connect the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

It will start at CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEX-Mamplasan interchange in City of Biñan, Laguna.

There will be eight interchanges located in Kawit, Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang East, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, Laguna Blvd. and Technopark.

The Cavite segment will cover 27-km, while the Laguna segment will span 18-km.

MPCALA tapped D.M. Consunji Inc. for the construction of the Laguna segment.

It broke ground on the Laguna segment in June last year.

Under the project, the concession period will be for 35 years including five years for design and construction.

Once completed, the CALAx is expected to cut travel time from CAVITEX to SLEX by 45 minutes.

Aside from CALAx, MPIC is building other tollway projects such as the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) - SLEX Connector Road, NLEX-Harbor Link Segment 10, C-5 South Link, and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

At present, MPIC operates the NLEX, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and the CAVITEX.