NLEX Tolls Waived for Flood-Hit Motorists as Marcos Orders Relief

By Erika Mae P. Sinaking and Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporters MOTORISTS using a stretch of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) will not have to pay toll starting on Wednesday after flooding in Pampanga caused days of severe traffic congestion, Malacañang said. “That’s also what the President wants,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing in Filipino on Wednesday. “What the President prioritizes is how to ease what our countrymen who are stuck on NLEX are feeling.” The toll waiver covers travel between Pulilan, Bulacan and San Fernando, Pampanga in both directions and follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to provide relief to motorists affected by flooding near Tulaoc Bridge in San Simon, Pampanga. Ms. Castro said the arrangement resulted from discussions between the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and NLEX Corp. She said authorities were still finalizing the duration of the waiver and whether it would be expanded to other sections of the toll road. She also said the government has not ruled out determining whether NLEX Corp. could be held liable for the flooding and resulting traffic gridlock. “Yes, we can say there were lapses, but I don’t want to make a prejudgment,” Ms. Castro said. “We need to hear things out, and if someone should be held accountable, if our countrymen should be compensated for damages, that is also what the President wants. What we need is a proper investigation.” Flooding along the Tulaoc section of NLEX has disrupted traffic since late August after heavy southwest monsoon rains caused the Pampanga River to overflow. Some motorists reported travel times of up to 22 hours. NLEX operator Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) said it has deployed temporary flood barriers, siphoning trucks and pumping equipment in the area. The company also plans to further raise the Tulaoc roadway after completing the elevation of the bridge as part of a flood mitigation project. Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva earlier said NLEX Corp. and the Department of Public Works and Highways had agreed in 2023 to raise the Tulaoc overpass. He said the roughly 0.7-meter elevation completed so far proved inadequate during the recent flooding. Separately, Mr. Marcos said the National Government would provide P300 million to the Tarlac City government to help rebuild the Aquino and Agana bridges, which partially collapsed after being battered by monsoon-swollen river waters. “So that the work can be faster, we will be downloading P300 million to the local government because this is a local bridge,” the President told reporters during an inspection of Agana Bridge in Barangay San Isidro, Tarlac City. He said the funds would be transferred through the local government since it has jurisdiction over the bridge, while national agencies would provide technical assistance. The Ninoy Aquino Bridge lost a central section on Aug. 28, while the nearby Agana Bridge partially collapsed the following night. A vehicle fell into the river during the incident, leaving two people dead and two missing, based on a statement issued by the Tarlac City government on Tuesday. Mr. Marcos said a temporary bailey bridge would allow pedestrian traffic within a week and vehicles weighing up to 10 tons within two weeks. He said river currents during the collapse reached 30 to 35 knots (55.6 to 64.8 kilometers per hour), which he described as unprecedented for a structure that had stood for about 70 years. “This is very, very clearly the effect of climate change,” Mr. Marcos said, adding that flood control master plans had existed for decades but were not implemented. The DoTr has ordered NLEX Corp. to explain the traffic congestion and boost advance warnings to motorists. In an Aug. 31 letter, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) ordered the company to issue flood advisories at least three hours before expected rainfall through variable message signs and other communication channels. TOLL REBATES “During such circumstances, NLEX Corp. is likewise directed to closely coordinate with the DoTr and TRB to jointly ensure the timely implementation of appropriate flood mitigation measures and other necessary interventions, with the primary objective of ensuring the safety of the motoring public and minimizing traffic disruption,” TRB Executive Director Jose Arturo M. Tugade said. The TRB also directed NLEX Corp. to consider reimbursing toll fees paid by Class 1 vehicles that were forced to turn around because of flooding on the expressway. NLEX Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., said flooding in San Simon and Tulaoc was aggravated by the overflow of the Pampanga River following prolonged southwest monsoon rains. “We understand the difficulties experienced by motorists affected by the flooding in San Simon and Tulaoc, which is part of a wider emergency across Pampanga arising from the continuous habagat rains resulting in elevated water levels at the Pampanga River,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Starting Sept. 2, NLEX said motorists traveling between San Fernando, Pampanga and Pulilan, Bulacan in both directions would receive toll rebates until all lanes become passable to all vehicle classes. The rebates will be credited to motorists’ RFID accounts a day after passage, the company said. NLEX added that the toll relief complements toll-free passage for provincial buses implemented in August as part of efforts to ease the burden on commuters. Separately, Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon ordered an inspection of all national bridges following days of heavy rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon. In a memo dated Sept. 1, Mr. Dizon directed regional directors and district engineers to assess bridge conditions nationwide and implement traffic restrictions, repairs and other interventions when needed. The Department of Public Works and Highways said priority should be given to bridges with exposed or undermined foundations and structures showing signs of distress that could affect stability. Regional and district offices have also been ordered to submit reports containing findings and recommendations for long-term measures. MPTC is the tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of the Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd. Alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.