In a presentation before the plenary meeting of Central Luzon’s Regional Development Council (RDC) here, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said the proposal to build a new NAIA at Sangley Point in Cavite has yet to be studied, and that eight other sites are being considered.
It said that apart from Sangley, the other “candidate locations” for the new NAIA include the “Angat-Pandi-Bustos site” and the “Obando site” in Bulacan, a northern portion or the southern portion of Manila Bay, a central portion of Manila Bay, a site called San Nicholas which appeared to be near Gen. Trias in Cavite in the NEDA’s map presentation, another in west Laguna, and Rizal-Talim site, also in Laguna.
NEDA described Sangley Point, however, as a “favorable” site. “The new NAIA will be as competitive as those of Singapore and Hong Kong,” NEDA said.
Meanwhile, however, it said the Clark International Airport here and the existing NAIA as “gateway ports for the greater capital region.”
NEDA described the Dream Plan for Mega Manila, as “a roadmap for infrastructure development for Metro Manila and its surrounding areas.
Mega Manila would cover Region 3 or Central Luzon and Region 4-A or the Calabarzon region. The plan was developed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The agency cited the necessity of the plan amid worsening traffic and congestion in Metro Manila. It said the metropolis is confronted with serious problems on transportation, land use and environment.
The worsening of these problems, it said, could be forestalled by the integrated and innovative development of Mega Manila which, it noted, accounts for about 62 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“The Dream Plan is doable, long-term and integrated, using transport as a catalyst for sustainable urban development,” NEDA said.
It said that Mega Manila would have “five NO’s” including no traffic congestion, no household living in hazardous conditions, no barriers for seamless mobility, no excessive cost burden for low income groups and no air pollution.
NEDA said the plan covers the development of strong north-south transport backbone, including projects, such as the rehabilitation of EDSA, which are already ongoing.
It would also cover construction of northsouth commuter rail and subways, “role sharing among three gateway ports of Subic, Manila and Batangas, new road linkages between highways and expressways, new towns with affordable housing, betterand more environment- friendly buses and jeepneys,” among other projects.
NEDA stressed that Mega Manila would have “significant positive impact” economically, socially, financially, and environmentally. “Efficient traffic will lead to P1.9 billion savings daily and travel time savings of P1.9 billion a day, amid vehicle operations savings of P2.1 billion per day,” NEDA reported.
It noted that financially, a developed Mega Manila would yield toll and fare revenue of P119 billion per year and socially, it could lead to public transport fare savings of P18 per person per day, as well as travel time reduction of 49 minutes per person per trip.
NEDA stressed that the Dream Plan could be funded by both public and private sectors, citing an investment cost of P2.4 trillion which, it said, is covered by the government’s “budget envelope” of P4.8 trillion up to 2030.
The agency also stressed the need to decentralize Metro Manila which it noted to be vulnerable to natural hazards, including earthquake, flood, and landslides.
It also noted a housing backlog of about 500,000 in the metropolis.
“Metro Manila’s problems can no longer be solved within Metro Manila. Regions 3 and 4-A must work out effective ways to maximize the positive impact of Metro Manila and contribute to mitigate the metropolis’s problems,” NEDA added.
