Another AFP camp opens to ease traffic

Motorists going to and from the cities of Makati and Taguig can expect a reduction of at least 10 minutes in their travel time, as the Armed Forces of the Philippines  agreed to temporarily open the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio to general traffic.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos on Wednesday said the opening of the Naval Station’s roads was in addition to the military’s earlier commitment to open the three gates of Camp Aguinaldo, the AFP’s general headquarters in Quezon City.

According to Orbos, the opening of the Philippine Navy facility to motorists would help ease traffic and cut travel time by at least 10 minutes, as it would allow them to bypass the junction of Lawton Avenue in Taguig and Chino Roces Avenue Extension in Makati.

The MMDA, one of the member agencies of the Interagency Council on Traffic (I-ACT),  said it is now accepting applications for access cards, which should be displayed on the vehicle’s windshield. The card will be honored both in Camp Aguinaldo and in the Naval Station.

Applicants should bring their driver’s license, two-by-two photo, their vehicle’s official receipt and certificate of registration, and a P500 processing fee.

Manny Gonzales, the MMDA coordinator in I-ACT, said motorists can already use the roads in the military camps once they have obtained the card.

Processing will take five working days at the most, and the pass will be valid for a year, he said.—JOVIC YEE