Manila: A planned toll road extending South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the Bicol Region is expected to reduce transport costs, improve supply chains, and create thousands of jobs, a House leader said Monday. In a statement, House Committee on Ways and Means chair and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda highlighted the Toll Regulatory Board's (TRB) impending approval of the final engineering design for the first segment of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Toll Road 5 (TR5) as a solution to long-standing transport bottlenecks in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, the TRB recently disclosed that the final engineering design encompasses the initial segment stretching from Lucena to Gumaca in Quezon province. Salceda noted that along with ongoing works for TR4, the Lucena-Gumaca segment will bring relief to commuters and truckers, significantly reducing the cost of transporting goods to Bicol.
He emphasized that the project would help alleviate the region's dependence on costly and unreliable transport links. The lack of strong land transport connections to Calabarzon effectively isolates Bicol, making it susceptible to disruptions in food and essential goods supply during emergencies, and increasing the expense of maintaining supply chains with Manila.
Salceda stated that the toll road would enhance connections to the Bicol Ecozone in Libon, Albay, an economic zone recently approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. He mentioned that the zone, combined with an agricultural superport planned by the Department of Agriculture, could generate up to 8,000 new manufacturing jobs and lower food prices in Albay.
The lawmaker expressed intent to pursue additional road links from SLEX to Libon, pointing out that toll roads provide a reliable funding source for maintenance, unlike government-maintained highways.
Salceda also intends to advocate for the simultaneous construction of the Naga-Legazpi segment of TR5 to expedite benefits to Bicol's key cities. He pointed out that the Naga-Legazpi portion serves a catchment area of around 2.2 million people, including the two largest cities in South Luzon. He suggested that San Miguel Corp. President and CEO Ramon Ang could advance this segment's operation to avoid waiting for the completion of less populated areas between Gumaca and Sipocot.
In addition, Salceda stated that the toll road would improve access to Bicol International Airport, promoting tourism and business in the region. He pledged to work with the government to explore options for accelerating the project and expressed plans to discuss this with Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon to pursue the development promptly, considering its potential positive impact on SLEX revenues.
