President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. opened the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway-C5 Southlink Segment 3B yesterday, reducing travel time from Parañaque to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig from about an hour and a half to 15 minutes. The segment will be toll-free until the end of April to aid Filipinos traveling for Holy Week. Marcos highlighted its role in saving on fuel amid soaring prices.
In Manila, Marcos inspected the two-kilometer stretch of Segment 3B with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez. The opening completes all segments of the CAVITEX C5 Link, expected to handle around 36,000 vehicles daily.
"And it’s no small matter to reduce travel from an hour and a half to 15 minutes. That’s a huge savings," Marcos told reporters in Filipino. He said it supports the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport or UPLIFT under Executive Order 110.
Marcos issued EO 110 on March 24, declaring a state of national energy emergency due to the Middle East conflict's impact on fuel prices. He added that the expressway offers significant savings on gasoline and crude oil.
Lopez stated it would reduce vehicular congestion in the Kaingin area and provide seamless connections from Cavite to C5 in Taguig, as well as direct access to Sucat and Merville in Parañaque. Dizon noted that the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of Transportation plan to open more highways, including the Central Luzon Link Expressway from Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City on Tuesday, to ease Holy Week travel and cut fuel costs.
