President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has put the brakes on the planned rehabilitation of EDSA, saying the government needs more time to explore better and less disruptive solutions for upgrading one of Metro Manila’s busiest roads.
The president made the decision after identifying new technologies that were not included in the original plans. “Mayroon tayong mga nakita na bagong teknolohiya… kaya ininstructionan ko si [Transportation Secretary] Vince Dizon at si Manny Bonoan ng [DPWH]… pause muna doon sa rehabilitation,” Marcos said in an ABS-CBN News report.
The now-suspended project, which was set to begin from Pasay City to Shaw Boulevard, drew criticism over fears of worsening traffic and sparked calls to bring back work-from-home setups. The plan also included an “odd-even” vehicle scheme, which was set for a June 16 dry run—now likewise on hold.
Marcos acknowledged the need to fix EDSA but emphasized that the social and economic toll of the original plan was too high. “Ang daming sakripisyo, masyadong mabigat… kaya pause na muna ‘yan,” he said.
Instead of the initial three-year timeline, the president wants agencies to come up with a strategy that would slash the duration to between six months and one year.
“In other words… we will find a better way na hindi masyadong mahirap,” he added.
