MAP urges gov’t to reallocate budget for EDSA Busway

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is urging Congress to reallocate funds in the 2026 national budget for the completion of the EDSA Busway system.

MAP president Alfredo Panlilio and MAP Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Eduardo Yap wrote Congress, saying, “Government’s commitment to ease the plight of bus commuters must be met.”

The letter was addressed to Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Senate committee on public affairs chair Raffy Tulfo and House committee on transportation chair Franz Pumaren.

“Since government is not inclined to appropriate funds for flood control projects, funds there can be more ideally reallocated to the Busway System,” Panlilio said.

Panlilio said “no meaningful budget allocation” had been provided for this project, except for a few hundred million pesos.

Almost 100,000 bus commuters depend on the busway for their daily commute, causing congestion on MRT 3 whose stations are used as makeshift access points, according to MAP.

“While this interim arrangement has been acceptable during the initial test period, severe congestion has been a daily grind for both MRT-3 and Busway commuters in the already over-crowded MRT-3 stations,” the letter added.

MAP said only four out of more than 20 busway-dedicated stations have been completed: Guadalupe, Buendia, Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard stations. Two others – North Edsa and Ortigas stations – are being built through private sector donations.

Busway stations could be “easily completed” next year if the projects are auctioned off in batches to large and reputable contractors.

These are Kamuning, Cubao/Araneta, Santolan, Camp Aguinaldo, Corinthian Gardens, Highway Hills, Estrella St. (Rockwell), Ayala/Edsa, Magallanes, Malibay, F.B. Harrison, MOA/J. Diokno, Aseana/Macapagal and PITX.

“In addition to other ancillary facilities, this system must be equipped with overhead bridgeway to the station platforms along the road median beside the MRT3 trackway, and provided with convenient access for the physically-challenged commuters,” the letter read.

The group proposed finalizing a schematic busway system plan to connect, at least, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and other major routes.

It also recommended developing a comprehensive Metro Manila Busway System to complement existing or soon-to-open rail systems.