OPENING OF CALAX SUBSECTION 3 TO BOOST SOUTH LUZON CONNECTIVITY; TOLL FREE FOR 1 MONTH

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday led the opening of the 7.88-km Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) Subsection 3, which extends the expressway to the Governor’s Drive Interchange in General Trias, Cavite, a project expected to make travel to Metro Manila faster and more convenient.

“I can announce na mabuksan ito starting 12 midnight tonight and for one month, wala na muna toll. So, ‘yung ating mga kababayan, gamitin po ninyo, makita ninyo, maramdaman ninyo na ang malaking ginhawa na dinadala nitong mga ganitong malalaking project,” President Marcos said at the opening of the CALAX Project Subsection 3, Governor’s Drive Interchange, Bgy. San Francisco, City of General Trias in Cavite.

CALAX Subsection 3 (Governor’s Drive Interchange to Aguinaldo Interchange stretch) will be free for all classes of vehicles for one month. Motorists will only pay the existing toll fees for CALAX Subsections 4 to 8 (Mamplasan in Biñan, Laguna to Silang (Aguinaldo) in Cavite.

The President, together with government officials, boarded a coaster at the starting point of the CALAX Silang Aguinaldo Interchange and conducted a windshield inspection of the 7.88-kilometer stretch of the project.

Among the guests were Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr., Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, and Jose Ma. K. Lim, President Emeritus, of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC).

President Marcos also thanked Remulla, who the Chief Executive, said was one of the movers of the project when the secretary was still governor of Cavite.

The President also thanked the MVP Group for the CALAX Project, an MPCALA Holdings Inc. project with the DPWH as the grantor.

MPCALA Holdings Inc., the developer and operator of CALAX, is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), which is part of the MVP Group of Companies led by Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“Kaya’t dinahan-dahan nung the then Governor Jonvic, was one of the main movers of all of these. Kaya’t mabuti naman at ngayon nabubuksan na natin,” said the President.

“Kaya’t nagpapasalamat tayo sa MVP Group at sa lahat ng mga tumulong at I’m sure eh mararamdaman nga natin ang magiging mas mabilis at mas maginhawa na pagbiyahe na papasok sa Metro Manila,” President Marcos said.

The new segment is expected to further ease congestion and cut travel time between Biñan, Laguna, and Gen. Trias, Cavite, to just 26 minutes from one hour, further strengthening South Luzon’s transport network.

Subsection 3 provides a faster alternative route for commuters and businesses by bypassing heavily congested local roads in Cavite’s growing industrial and residential corridors.

“Bubuksan natin itong section, which is about four and a half kilometers. ’Yung dating kalahating oras na biyahe ay magiging five minutes na lang, six minutes, kaya’t malaking bagay ito,” said President Marcos.

Designed to accommodate 6,000 additional motorists daily, CALAX now spans 26 kilometers from Mamplasan Entry and will ultimately extend to 44.6 kilometers, linking the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Mamplasan.

The network features eight strategic interchanges: Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa–Tagaytay, Silang East, Silang (Aguinaldo), Governor’s Drive, Open Canal, and Kawit.

“At hindi lang kasi mabibilisan eh dahil ma-relieve din ang traffic. At tinitingnan namin doon sa mapa ay ‘yung inaantay natin na matagal na galing dito sa Silang hanggang Kawit na. ‘Yung dati mga dalawang oras, magiging kalahating oras, 45 minutes na lang,” the President said.

“At ulit, kahit na nagtatrabaho ka sa Taguig, pwede kang nakatira dito sa Cavite. Kaya’t magandang-maganda na matapos na natin ito. This is ten years in the making at pahirapan kasi as usual ‘yung nagiging problema natin sa lahat ng construction ng mga kalsada ‘yung right of way,” President Marcos said.

The combined network is projected to serve up to 95,000 vehicles per day, serving as a regional backbone for trade and mobility once fully integrated with CAVITEX.