Pressure is mounting on the new president of the Philippines. Rodrigo Duterte, to relocate Manila North Harbor to help fight dire traffic problems in the Philippine capital.
A commuters’ group has urged the president to implement the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) proposal to transfer both Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Manila North Harbor out of the capital.
JICA’s plan, first proposed in 2014, calls for the airport to be moved to Cavite just outside the capital and for the port to be shifted to Batangas, a fast growing port 75 km south of Manila.
Elvira Medina, president of the National Center for Commuters Safety and Protection Inc (NCCSPI), yesterday backed the plan, saying: “These solutions being out forward by JICA should be adopted by the Duterte administration if it is serious in addressing the worsening traffic problem. We support these proposals fully.”
The Duterte administration is seeking emergency powers from congress to address the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
Traffic in Manila is among the worst in Southeast Asia with commutes of just a few kilometres often stretching on for interminable time.
