The ongoing Metro Manila Subway Project (Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is looking forward to hearing more long-term infrastructure plans from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos in his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.
He also noted that these projects must transcend political administrations and leave a lasting legacy for Filipinos.
“Each administration has real pet bills, projects, or missions in life. BBM has long-term ambitions. ‘Yung mga mabibigat na talagang gusto niyang ilarga, now is the time to say it (Now is the time to announce his big plans),” Cayetano said during a media briefing on Thursday.
“If you visited Hong Kong in the late 80s or early 90s, never ka pumunta ng Hong Kong na walang ginagawa sa kanilang subway. Ngayon, after 30 years, konektado na ang buong ilalim nila at halos pwede mo rin lakarin at nakakabit na lahat ng tren,” he said.
(If you visited Hong Kong in the late 80s or early 90s, its subways are always being built. Now, after 30 years, its entire underground is connected, and you can almost walk through it with all the trains connected.)
He also mentioned that the same kind of efficient infrastructure can be observed in Japan.
“Ang point ko, are we going to be happy that the last administration negotiated the subway and then just wait for it to finish by 2027, 2028, or 2029? Hindi ba dapat y’ung part 2 ng subway, or y’ung subway for Cebu, or other trains for other parts of the country, ngayon pa lang iniisip na? ” he added.
(My point is, are we going to be happy that the last administration negotiated for the subway and then just wait for it to finish by 2027, 2028, or 2029? Shouldn’t we already be thinking about part 2 of the subway, the subway for Cebu, or other trains for other parts of the country?)