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Palay still declining at farmgate

A farmer dries rice grains in Baliuag, Bulacan, Oct. 9, 2023. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THE FARMGATE PRICE of palay (unmilled rice) fell 24.4% year on year in March to an average of P18.57 per kilogram, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

Month on month, the palay farmgate price fell 8.5% in March from P20.29 in February, the PSA said.

The decline in farmgate prices eased from the  February decline of 18.9% year on year. In March 2024, the farmgate price averaged P24.55.

None of the 15 regions posted month-on-month and year-on-year growth in average farmgate prices in March, according to PSA data.

The highest palay prices in March were posted in the Bangsamoro region at P21.67.

The lowest palay prices were logged in Calabarzon at P16.54, with the farmgate price in the region falling 28% year on year and 20.1% month on month.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said reports from farmers in Luzon in March indicate that the farmgate price was actually P15-16.

The PSA said in Central Luzon, a major rice producer, farmgate prices of palay fell 28.0% year on year and 5.7% month on month to average P18.35.

SINAG said farmgate prices continue to be affected by the bias for imports encouraged by Executive Order No. 62, which lowered import tariffs on rice in July 2024 to 15% from 35% until 2028.

“Millers and traders are willing to buy only at the P15-16 level because they will also not earn enough since the landed cost of imported rice is now below P30/kilo (P26-P28),” SINAG spokesman Jayson H. Cainglet said via Viber.

“It is really time to revert the original tariff for rice to 35% (for ASEAN grain) and 50% (for non-ASEAN source countries).”

The Department of Agriculture (DA) last week said it is studying setting a minimum buying price for palay, describing a proposed P20-per kilo floor price for dry palay as reasonable.

The Federation of Free Farmers last week said prices for freshly harvested palay have dropped to as little as P12-14 per kilo in parts of the country.

A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report in March said Philippine rice imports will likely decline 1.9% to 5.2 million metric tons (MT) this year due to an expected increase in domestic production.

Rice imports fell 46% year on year to 641,000 MT in the year to date ending March 13.

The DA said 96,260 MT of the shipments arrived in March, 267,114 in February, and 277,540 in January. The equivalent year-earlier volumes are 429,260 MT in January 2024, 341,585 in February 2024, and 415,764 in March 2024.

In 2024, rice imports hit a record 4.68 MMT, against 3.6 MMT a year earlier. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

British Chamber urges PHL to join CPTPP amid Trump tariffs

THE PHILIPPINES needs to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to expand its trading network in the face of unpredictable US trade policy, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) said.

“We would encourage the Philippines to join CPTPP. This is another trading bloc which has countries like Australia, Japan… and the UK has joined,” BCCP Executive Director and Trustee Chris Nelson told BusinessWorld by phone on April 11.

The UK joined the bloc in December.

The CPTPP is a Free Trade Agreement involving 11 countries, — Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

“We know from discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that this is under consideration and this would further help, in our opinion, the Philippines because it would be able to trade also, obviously, with that bloc,” he said. 

Last month, Trade Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty said that the Philippines is working on its planned accession to the CPTPP.

“I think the impetus to trading blocs such as ASEAN, such as the Philippines, is to develop other trading areas in order to be even better diversified,” he said.

Mr. Nelson recently met with Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto and discussed priority areas on cybersecurity, food inflation and promoting trade and investments. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

NCR construction materials retail price growth inches up in March

BW FILE PHOTO

RETAIL price growth of construction materials in the National Capital Region (NCR) rose to a three-month high in March, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday.

Citing preliminary data, the PSA said the March construction materials retail price index (CMRPI) rose 1.2%, against 1.1% in February and 0.6% a year earlier.

The March reading was the highest since the 1.5% in December. It matched the pace recorded in January.

In the first quarter, the CMRPI averaged 1.1%, level with the year-earlier pace.

John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said growth was still much slower than in previous years.

“The continued easing of CMRPI reflects softer input costs, which is a welcome development for both consumers and the construction industry. Slower price growth may help support ongoing infrastructure projects and private sector housing demand,” he said in an e-mail.

“However, it also suggests that overall construction activity may still be subdued, especially if demand for materials is lagging.”

The PSA said plumbing materials price growth in March was 0.7% year on year, against 0.4% in February.

Plumbing materials are the second most heavily weighted commodity in the index, accounting for 17.3% of the CMRPI.

Three other commodity groups returned stronger price growth in March, led by electrical materials (1.9% from 1.7% in February), masonry materials (0.4% vs. 0.2%), and tinsmithry materials (1.6% vs. 1.5%).

Three commodity groups reported slower price growths in March: carpentry materials (0.7% from 0.9%), painting materials and related compounds (2.4% from 2.7%) and miscellaneous construction materials (0.3% from 0.4%). — John Phoebus G. Villanueva

Pork MSRP non-compliance ‘alarming’ even with farmgate prices hold steady

A MEAT VENDOR at the Marikina Public Market. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ WALTER BOLLOZOS

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork continues to see uneven compliance, a situation which it called “alarming” in light of the large gap between retail and farmgate prices.

Citing a recent market visit, Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra said pork belly (liempo) was selling for P420 to P440 per kilo, and pork shoulder (kasim) and pork leg/ham (pigue) P370 to P380.

“This is alarming, especially since the farmgate price of pork remains around P250 to P255,” she said in a statement.

The DA on March 10 started implementing an MSRP scheme for pork, with a price of P300 per kilo for fresh carcass… P350 a kilo for kasim and pigue, and P380 per kilo for liempo.

On April 1, the DA said the level of compliance with the pork MSRP was low at 30% after monitoring 170 stalls.

The compliance rate was 20% during the first week of implementation. It rose to 25% as of March 22.

Ms. Gueverra said pork prices should have fallen since “certain delivery costs have already decreased.”

The DA said on April 1 that the Philippine unit of Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC will supply 100 live hogs per day in Metro Manila at a discounted price.

Under the pilot program running from April to June, the company was set to send the hogs directly to a slaughterhouse in Caloocan.

The slaughtered hogs were expected to be processed and sold in various wet markets in the National Capital Metro Manila, Rizal and Cavite provinces.

Hog producers during consultations with Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr.  have pledged to keep the farmgate price at a maximum P230 a kilo to contain pork retail prices.

The DA said in a statement on Monday that it is reviewing the pork value chain, from farmgate pricing and slaughterhouse operations to trading, retail, and consumer pricing.

The initiative seeks to identify key cost drivers at every stage and recommend policy and market interventions.

“The solution must be systemic. We are analyzing the value chain closely to determine where excessive mark-ups may be occurring and to ensure fair practices throughout the supply chain,” Ms. Guevarra said.

“The government is also exploring options to supply meat directly to the markets,” she added. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

The CMEPA bill and its future impact

On Jan. 27, the Senate passed on third reading the Capital Market Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA), sending the bill along the path to eventual signing. Senate Bill No. 2865 was filed by senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva to encourage more capital-market investment. “CMEPA will not only make investments more affordable, but it will also empower our countrymen to take control of their financial futures,” Mr. Gatchalian said following the Senate’s third-reading approval of the measure. It and its counterpart, House Bill No. 2977, were designed to align the Philippines’ capital tax rate more closely with the rates charged by ASEAN neighbors. CMEPA was approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee on Feb. 5.

CMEPA’s basic objectives are to promote a fairer and simpler passive income tax system that will encourage savings and capital investment; to increase capital mobility; and to incentivize investment in the trade of securities. The bill defines passive income as income earned from sources that do not require a taxpayer’s active pursuit and performance of trade or business and is not subject to value-added tax imposed in the Tax Code.

CMEPA proposes lowering the stock transaction tax, lowering the documentary stamp tax, and removing the preferential tax rates for various types of passive income, as follows:

• For interest, there will a single 20% tax rate, applicable to all kinds of interest, instead of four tax rates depending on the source of interest income. Previously, interest income on bank deposits was taxed at 20%, from FCDU banks of individual residents 15%, from long-term investment based on remaining maturity 5-20%, and from FCDU banks on non-residents, which is exempt.

• Gains from the sale of bonds, debentures or other certificates of indebtedness have been made taxable.

• The distinction between royalties from books and literary works and other royalties in general have been done away with under the CMEPA as the proposed law now imposes a uniform tax rate of 20%.

• Sales of unlisted shares of stock issued by foreign corporations previously taxed at progressive income tax rates for individuals and the corporate income tax rate for corporations are now taxed at the same rate as those issued by domestic corporations — 15%.

• Reduction of the stock transaction tax from 0.6% of shares traded on the Philippine stock exchange to 0.1% of shares traded in all stock exchanges.

• One documentary stamp is taxed at 0.75% on the following:

• Original issuance of shares of stock, previously taxed at 1% of par value

• Issuance of bonds, debentures, and certificates of stock or indebtedness issued overseas, which were previously charged the same rate as the DST imposed on similar instruments issued, sold or transferred in the Philippines.

The proposed lower tax rates are expected to encourage investors to try their hand at earning passive income and allow them to pay more definite taxes based on the type of passive income they earned.

After the third reading of the bill, and after the midterm elections in May, the succeeding Congress will present the final bill for the President’s approval or veto. Once the bill is signed into law, and after the issuance of its implementing rules and regulations, the proposed rates can be imposed by the BIR.

Let’s Talk Tax, a weekly newspaper column of P&A Grant Thornton that aims to keep the public informed of various developments in taxation. This article is not intended to be a substitute for competent professional advice.

 

Valentin Eduardo Miguel M. Prieto III is an associate from the Tax Advisory & Compliance Practice Area of P&A Grant Thornton, the Philippine member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd.

business.development@ph.gt.com

Peso weakens on lingering tariff jitters

ANGIE REYES-PEXELS

THE PESO weakened against the dollar on Monday amid continued market jitters over the escalating global trade war and the possibility of a recession.

The local unit closed at P57.08 per dollar on Monday, dropping by 11 centavos from its P56.97 finish on Friday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

The peso opened Monday’s session stronger at P56.93 against the dollar. Its worst showing was at P57.10, while its intraday best was at P56.90 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged went down to $1.49 billion on Monday from $1.55 billion on Friday.

“The dollar-peso traded above P57 due to looming uncertainties with the trade war and a possible global recession. The market reduced their risk exposure. However, there is limited upside as the market is still cautious awaiting developments with the trade war,” a trader said in a phone interview.

Several officials of the US Federal Reserve are also due to speak this week, the trader added, including Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell on Wednesday.

The peso declined even as the US dollar was mostly weaker on Monday amid continued tariff worries, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort added in a Viber message.

For Tuesday, the trader expects the peso to move between P56.80 and P57.30 against the dollar, while Mr. Ricafort said it could range from P56.90 to P57.10.

The dollar drifted lower on Monday, while the Japanese yen and the euro progressed higher as investor confidence in the world’s reserve currency remained in question following a stream of tariff-related pronouncements from US President Donald J. Trump, Reuters reported.

Investors braced for another volatile week as Mr. Trump’s imposition and then abrupt postponement of tariffs on goods imported to the US continued to sow confusion.

Mr. Trump on Sunday said he would announce the tariff rate on imported semiconductors over the next week, adding that there would be flexibility towards some companies in the sector.

The White House on Friday granted an exclusion from steep tariffs for smartphones, computers and certain other electronics imported largely from China. Mr. Trump later said the move would be short-lived.

Against a basket of currencies, the US dollar languished near Friday’s three-year low at 99.36. — Aaron Michael C. Sy with Reuters

Stocks end higher on latest tariff developments

BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE STOCKS went up on Monday as US President Donald J. Trump exempted some technology products from import tariffs.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed by 1.03% or 63.08 points to close at 6,145.52, while the broader all shares index rose by 0.16% or 6.13 points to 3,627.89.

“The local market started its shortened trading week on a positive note as investors cheered the US’ move to temporarily exempt consumer electronics from its reciprocal tariffs,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message. “Hopes of further policy easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) this year also helped in lifting the market.”

Foreign buying also lifted the market, he added. Net foreign buying increased to P174.58 million on Monday from P48.04 million on Friday.

“Philippine shares traded slightly in the green as investors weighed the impact of Mr. Trump’s 90-day tariff reprieve while digesting the recent BSP decision to cut rates by 25 basis points (bps),” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan likewise said in a Viber message.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday that smartphones, computers and some other electronics, just exempted from steep tariffs on imports from China, would face separate new duties along with semiconductors within the next two months, Reuters reported.

Mr. Lutnick said Mr. Trump would enact “a special focus-type of tariff” on smartphones, computers and other electronics products in a month or two, alongside sectoral tariffs targeting semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. He said those new levies would fall outside Mr. Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs, under which levies on Chinese imports climbed to 125%.

Beijing increased its own tariffs on US imports to 125% on Friday, striking against Mr. Trump’s tariffs. China said on Sunday that it was evaluating the impact of the exclusions for the technology products implemented late on Friday.

Meanwhile, the BSP on Thursday resumed its easing cycle, delivering a widely expected 25-bp cut to bring the policy rate to 5.5%.

BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. signaled further reductions this year to be delivered in “baby steps” or in 25-bp increments, with the Monetary Board unlikely to cut at every policy meeting.

Almost all sectoral indices ended higher on Monday. Services went up by 2.24% or 43.05 points to 1,957.04; property rose by 1.73% or 37.69 points to 2,212.86; industrials increased by 1.25% or 107.24 points to 8,632.30; holding firms climbed by 0.83% or 42.09 points to 5,108.06; and mining and oil added 0.73% or 69.35 points to end at 9,575.38.

Meanwhile, financials dropped by 0.51% or 12.28 points to 2,376.

Value turnover dropped to P4.32 billion on Monday with 557.88 million shares traded from the P6.84 billion with 532.72 million issues exchanged on Friday.

Advancers beat decliners, 106 versus 83, while 49 names were unchanged. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave with Reuters

Philippines hosts talks on sea code of conduct, questions risky China actions

PCG/BW FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINES hosted another round of talks on a code of conduct for the South China Sea in Manila last week, during which it “raised concerns” over incidents with China, which it accused of endangering its vessels and personnel, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In a statement, the DFA also said the Philippine delegation had reaffirmed its commitment to peacefully resolving the sea dispute with China and developing diplomatic strategies to manage differences amicably.

“The meeting was an opportunity for the Philippines to strongly call for the need to adhere to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award,” it said.

The South China Sea has become a regional flashpoint for Southeast Asian nations as China continues to claim and assert sovereignty over almost the entire sea, seen as a vital trade route that is also believed to be rich in undersea gas and oil deposits.

Manila has been at the forefront of efforts to challenge Beijing’s expansive claims, which overlap with those of other regional neighbors such as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, by organizing joint sails in the waterway with western countries and strengthening security alliances with regional partners like Australia and Japan.

One of the South China Sea features that has been a source of tension between the Philippines and China is Scarborough Shoal, which lies just 600 kilometers from the Philippine province of Palawan.

A 2016 arbitral ruling that voided China’s claims in the South China Sea said the shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen. China has controlled the shoal since 2012.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China pledged in 2002 to come up with a code of conduct on the South China Sea, a framework that seeks to prevent conflict through diplomatic means but it has remained elusive due to slow progress.

“The Philippines voiced its concerns on the situation in the West Philippine Sea, especially with regard to recent incidents that posed risks to Philippine vessels and personnel, and actions by other countries that infringed on the Philippines’ sovereignty,” the DFA said.

The proposed code of conduct is a “big compromise” for China, said Hu Bo, director of Chinese think-tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.

“This kind of document regulates bigger powers [and not] small countries,” he told a news briefing. “As a big power, I think China’s compromised much more than other ASEAN member states.”

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said Beijing plans to deepen ties with its neighbors, citing it as a priority for the government.

“As Chinese President Xi Jinping embarks on his first overseas trip of the year, China is poised to deepen ties with Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and ASEAN as a whole, injecting new impetus into the peace and development of the region and the world,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page.

“Neighboring countries are China’s priority in its diplomacy,” he added.

He said Beijing has reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness” as part of its so-called neighborhood diplomacy.

China’s policies are “very clear and very consistent” when it comes to engaging with Southeast Asian nations, Mr. Hu said. “We want a stable and harmonious Southeast Asian region.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Marcos’ Senate slate for midterm elections ‘intact,’ says campaign manager

Las Piñas Rep. Camille A. Villar — BW FILE PHOTO

THE Marcos-backed alliance of senatorial candidates for this year’s midterm election is “intact,” according to its campaign manager, after one of its candidates was seen with Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio — a political rival of the Marcoses.

“The five-party Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for a New Philippines) composed of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Lakas-CMD, National People’s Coalition, National Unity Party and Nacionalista Party is intact,” Navotas Rep. Tobias Reynald M. Tiangco, campaign manager of the Senate ticket, said in a statement.

“The Alyansa candidates are part of the administration slate because they are committed to the vision we all share — a new Philippines,” he said, adding that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. had handpicked the candidates for their political experience.

Former Presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque on Sunday shared a photo on Facebook of Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas Rep. Camille A. Villar, who is a Nacionalista Party member and part of the administration Senate slate, with the Vice-President.

“We’re grateful for the support of everyone from the local, national and grassroots [levels],” Ms. Villar told editors in a impromptu briefing. “Ever since the beginning, I already had an idea of how I wanted to campaign… We will just stay the course. We’re friends with everyone.”

​Her father, businessman and former Senate President Manuel B. Villar, Jr., said he is friends with both President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his predecessor Rodrigo R. Duterte. “I have been a long friend of Marcos and Duterte. Why should I join their quarrel?” he told the same briefing.

He said both Mr. Marcos and Mr. Duterte know his daughter. “I’m not saying they’re both helping her campaign” since both don’t actively campaign, he added.

The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The administration slate lost one candidate after presidential sister and reelectionist Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos withdrew in late March, days after Mr. Duterte was arrested by police and brought on a plane to The Hague to face trial by the International Criminal Court for his deadly war on drugs.

Ms. Marcos is friends with the Duterte family.

Ms. Villar’s appearance with the Vice-President appears to be a political move meant to appeal to the voter base of the Marcoses and Dutertes, Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “This is Villar just playing to their possible crowds.”

Millions of Filipinos will pick a new set of congressmen, 12 of the 24-member Senate and thousands of local officials on May 12, in an election viewed as a referendum on the Marcos administration.

The midterm polls will also take place amid a bitter feud between the Marcoses and Dutertes, whose alliance unraveled last year after congressmen stripped Ms. Duterte of her confidential funds and the House of Representatives revived a probe of her father’s war on drugs.

Ms. Villar could “play both sides” because she comes from a powerful political family, Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, an associate political science professor at De La Salle University, said via Messenger chat. “Unlike the other members of the slate, they can very well try to play both sides.”

The Villars are political heavyweights — Rep. Villar’s brother Mark and mother Cynthia are both senators. Her father is the richest Filipino, with a net worth of $17.2 billion (P982 billion), according to Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List.

“It is in the interest of both the Marcos and Duterte camps to pay goodwill to the Villars due to their money, and the Villars benefit from straddling both camps so they survive whoever gets the power in the next election cycle,” Mr. Juliano said. “They’d rather not antagonize the moneyed people.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Immigration bureau deports 84 Chinese nationals in clampdown vs POGOs

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE PHILIPPINE government deported 84 Chinese nationals on April 11 as part of a crackdown against Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), the Bureau of Immigration  said on Monday.

In a statement, the bureau said they were flown aboard a Philippine Airlines flight to Beijing. The Chinese citizens were overstaying and undocumented, it added.

They were apprehended in separate operations in Tarlac, Cebu and Parañaque.

“This is a stern warning to all illegal foreign operators,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said. “We are watching and we will act decisively.”

The bureau reaffirmed its commitment to support law enforcement agencies in securing the country’s borders and rooting out foreign-linked criminal activities.

The deportation was coordinated with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, National Bureau of Investigation and Chinese Embassy as part of a multi-agency effort to shut down POGOs.

The Philippines banned POGOs last year on the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., amid mounting reports linking some operations to criminal syndicates.

At its peak, the POGO industry employed more than 100,000 foreign nationals who were mostly Chinese, but thousands have since had their work visas downgraded or canceled.

The bureau earlier said more than 2,000 POGO workers had their visas downgraded to tourist status. While many have left, about 8,000 foreign POGO workers remain in the country illegally. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Comelec says 93 overseas voting posts successfully opened for midterm polls

The Commission on Elections conducted a test voting period for Registered Overseas Voters, who enrolled to vote online for the 2025 midterm elections. The test voting closed on April 13, the first day of the official overseas voting period.

ALL OVERSEAS voting posts for the 2025 midterm elections have successfully opened, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday.

Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters in a Viber chat that all 93 diplomatic posts have opened voting for their respective jurisdictions with the last Online Voting and Counting System post, located at the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating at around 2 a.m. Manila time (8 a.m. Honolulu time).

The 2025 elections mark the first time internet voting is implemented for overseas Filipinos, launching in 77 diplomatic posts. The remaining 16 posts utilized automated counting machines.

The remaining 16 posts, which utilized automated counting machines, completed the opening procedures for overseas voting early Monday, Mr. Garcia said.

He added that the total number of enrolled voters as of Monday, 5 a.m. stood at 54,575.

There are more than 1.6 million Filipinos registered to vote overseas.

The overseas voting window will remain open until May 12, 7 p.m. Manila time, aligning with the election day in the Philippines, when 68 million Filipinos will cast their votes.

Filipinos will elect members of the House of Representatives, 12 of the 24-member Senate, and thousands of local government officials. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Toll operators gear up for Holy Week

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

EXPRESSWAY OPERATORS are now preparing for the expected traffic surge at major toll roads this Holy Week.

“Our instruction to our operations personnel is to make sure that our traffic management plans are in sync with the different towns and cities so that traffic flows smoothly along public roads. When public roads are congested, motorists along our carriageways are also affected as traffic can extend to the exits and onto the main line,” San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Chairman Ramon S. Ang said in a media release on Monday.

SMC, through SMC Infrastructure, said traffic management plans are in place for its tollways including Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

SMC said it expects heavy traffic at interchanges linking its tollways to national highways and other expressways.

Further, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), said it is anticipating up to 10% increase in traffic volume for the April 16-21 period.

“MPTC’s role during Holy Week goes beyond traffic management by taking measures towards ensuring a travel experience that’s safe, seamless, and reassuring,” MPTC President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim said in a media release last week.

MPTC has developed a strategy for providing assistance services and will increase the efficiency at its toll plaza.

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. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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