The year is 2052. A generation has passed since another Marcos once again led the country as president. And as the new administration begins to take over, we who are lucky to still be alive by then will hear yet another State of the Nation address.
Where will the country be in thirty years’ time? What will transportation and mobility look like after three decades? Let us take a peek into the future as we bring forth our dreams, hopefully to fruition in the president’s 2052 State of the Nation Address.
“Mga minamahal kong kababayan. More than 36 years ago, a bold infrastructure spending program was instituted by my predecessors. After years of languishing in post-EDSA substandard, piecemeal road construction as well as a near non-existent mass transportation network, Filipinos have long had to endure and suffer in their commutes to work.
Naghihirap na nga sa trabaho, pinahihirapan pa sa pagpunta sa at pag-uwi mula sa trabaho.”
This was three decades ago. Today, we look back at those tumultuous times and say, “What were we doing?” Because now, after years of bearing the suffering from indifference and neglect, and enduring the hardships of building better and more, we are here to proudly say the Philippines is ready to assume its role as a true modern and progressive nation.
With the completion years ago of MRT 7, the LRT Cavite extension, and the MRT- 4 along Ortigas, we have seen a tremendous influx in mobility among our citizens. The ease of transport afforded by our then new rail systems were crucial to planting the seeds of change. The Metro Manila Subway, now with 4 lines that criss-cross the metropolis, has also given our citizens and our industries a faster option to do their work and business.
Gone were the days when commuters had to endure the heat and smog. Indeed, because of the availability of our rail networks, we have seen more and more people take the train instead of the wheel. And with city buses and jeepneys now all running on electric energy, we can enjoy cleaner air and less healthcare costs as a result.
The ongoing expansion of these existing lines, as well as the addition of new high-speed mass transport connections between Mega Manila and its outskirts in the north, east, west and south have all led to faster and more convenient commute times. And more importantly, more time spent with the family as traffic is no longer the burden it used to be. And with a modern tollway network that now spans the length of Luzon, people who have the means to drive can do so efficiently, and with ease.
The completed construction of the new bridge network between Matnog in Sorsogon and Allen, Leyte, now allows anyone from Luzon to drive to the Visayas. It has also provided easier access for goods from the south to the north resulting in cheaper transportation costs and market prices for local produce.
Today, after much careful thought and planning in the last three decades, we have seen the fruition of our aspirations of a more convenient, safer and faster mobility. From what was once just a rail line from Clark to Calamba, we now have a rail network that stretches from Ilocos and Cagayan in the north, all the way to Sorsogon in Luzon.
And connecting this with the 2,278-kilometer Mindanao Railway that our predecessors had the foresight to initiate via the Nautical Highway, we now have a true mass transport network that is not only accessible, but also safe, convenient and more importantly at par with the rest of the world. Bringing peace and progress to areas where these were not known before.
But it does not stop there. The government’s efforts in expanding and upgrading the inter-island ferry service to cover every major island in the country has seen more modern, air-conditioned, and faster ROROs that not only offer world-class, on-time, comfortable and reliable service, but also an easier way to transport vehicles and goods between our islands.
Our ongoing efforts to lessen the country’s dependency on imported fossil fuels through the establishment of our first working nuclear power plant is finally bearing fruit as well. Along with the discovery of new energy resources in the West Philippine sea and the establishment of new power plants that harness energy from the wind, the sun, as well as our natural gas and geothermal resources, we can now supply energy at a cheaper rate than ever before.
Now, every region in the country has its own alternative energy-sources making up at least 25% of their local energy mix. Together, we have achieved a total national average of 51% sourced from coal and oil no more. With these achievements, we can now see a significant shift towards a more sustainable and affordable energy combination that is not only good for our health, but also good for the environment.
The now widespread adoption of alternative energy vehicles that run not only on electricity but also via hybrid options have led to cleaner air for our cities. And seeing the benefit of these vehicles to our people’s well-being, we will continue the attractive government support and incentives previous administrations have offered to car and public utility vehicle manufacturers who set-up shop in our industrial zones to produce more EVs and hybrids.
By creating and supporting a strong alternative energy vehicle manufacturing program, we have now become the hub of EV production, parts supply and distribution in southeast Asia. And we intend to keep it that way.
It is not all about cars though. Today, EDSA, the once troubled and horrific symbol of neglect in the metropolis, has been transformed into a walkable, bikeable avenue. We have made sure that it not only allows vehicles and trams through, but also has bicycle and pedestrian pathways that are accessible, convenient and comfortable to traverse. We have de-clogged the metropolis not by building more roads, but by having more options for mobility.
All these did not happen overnight. And all these would not have happened without the cooperation of our people as well as the patriotism of our Public-Private Partnership entities.
Today, we can now enjoy the life that we have yearned for in the past sixty years. We have waited long enough as our neighbors jumped ahead and afforded their citizens a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle.
With all the wisdom previous administrations have realized for our country, and the people’s support of the government’s ambitious and oftentimes contentious plans and programs in the last thirty years, we have finally achieved as one nation the kind of life we have only dreamed and yearned of before.
And if ever there was a legacy these past administrations can be and should be remembered for, it is that they finally put the people’s welfare ahead of personal ambition.”
The good thing is that dreaming is free. We can only hope that we will still be there when all these become reality.
