MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MPHI), a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), has gotten a go-signal from the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to collect initial toll fees beginning Feb. 10 for the newly opened 10.7-kilometer Mamplasan Interchange-Sta. Rosa segment of the Cavite-Laguna-Expressway (CALAx).
In a statement on Thursday, MPHI said it has “secured TRB approval of the provisional initial toll for the 10.7-km CALAx subsections 6, 7 and 8 effective February 10.” It said CALAx will be collecting value-added tax-inclusive rates of P47 for ordinary cars, P95 for buses and small commercial trucks, and P143 for large trucks or trailers.
The Laguna segment of CALAx became fully operational in December last year. The whole CALAx project covers 45.3 kilometers of expressway linking the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) from Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) at the Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.
The remaining portion of the toll road is still under construction and is scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2022. The P35.43-billion project is being undertaken by MPCALA, which is under Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC). MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin
