I Can Cut Travel Time To Baguio in Half

This is what Bayani Fernando said in a conference. The Philippine Star published an article on this declaration as follows --

"Fernando: I can cut Manila-Baguio travel time

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani
Fernando said Tuesday he can reduce the travel time from Manila to
Baguio and vice versa — from eight to three hours.

Fernando, who graced the Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI) leadership
workshop, said he can reduce the travel time from Manila to
Baguio "if only McArthur Highway, Manila North Road, and other
laterals connecting both roads, are cleared of makeshift shanties of
illegal vendors, squatters and other illegal structures."

He said motoring to Baguio City from Metro Manila on conventional
roads, instead of the much traveled expressway route, takes more
than six to eight hours due to poor road conditions.

"We can do this if subsequent traffic engineering initiatives were
also put in place. Motorists can weave through traffic safely and
effortlessly at 80 kilometers per hour to and from Baguio City for
only three to four hours instead of the prolonged travel time,"
Fernando said.

He conducted a two-day planning session with his staff on the MMDA's
pending and future Metro Gwapo physical change and social
reorientation projects.

Fernando said he intends to extend the MMDA's traffic management
authority to the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and
Pangasinan to help solve the traffic gridlock in these areas.

"The MMDA will initially assess the traffic conditions in the four
provinces where motorists traverse going to and from Baguio City and
come up with traffic improvement studies and strategies to be
submitted to President Arroyo for approval," Fernando said.

Fernando said Baguio farmers and traders will improve their earning
capacity once the roads in these provinces were cleared of all forms
of obstructions.

He said MMDA traffic experts will give their counterparts in the
provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan a week-long
orientation and training on how to rationalize the use of
thoroughfares, traffic enforcement operations and installation of
traffic fixtures and signages, among other things.

Fernando said the MMDA has recently extended its traffic management
duties to roads leading to Bacoor, Cavite and Laguna as an offshoot
of President Arroyo's directive to help solve traffic problems in
these provinces.

He said Tanauan City in Batangas, Obando in Bulacan and Rosales in
Pangasinan will follow suit. Jose Rodel Clapano "


A big "if". As in Baguio can improve its traffic management and decongest if the circumferential road is completed and existing major thoroughfares widened but structures, squatters and non-squatters have already built on road easements. Would there be political will to dismantle these structures to make way for road improvements? This is one major problem in the city. The MMDA Chairman is talking about clearing road easements from Bulacan,Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, and up to our mountain city. How many people will be affected? Will they be amenable to have their properties expropriated? Would Malacanang have the political will to support the MMDA Chairman in this undertaking? If there is one guy who can pursue such an undertaking, it would be Bayani Fernando. But without the President's office supporting him all the way the project can only be a dream...a fantasy. Maybe when our good Senator Gordon gets elected as President? Looking forward to it.