Good news for commuters

EYES WIDE OPEN

- IRIS GONZALES

One of the most challenging things about being Filipino and living in the Philippines is the difficult, dizzying and dirty public commute. It's no exaggeration to say that commuting around Metro Manila is really exhausting, especially if you live in Quezon City and work in another city some 30 kilometers away, such as Makati or Parañaque.

It is therefore a welcome development that five new stations of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) from Baclaran to Parañaque City started serving the riding public yesterday. We needed these expanded rail projects years ago but unfortunately, progress was hampered by challenges including lack of political will, right-of-way issues, funding and many more.

But at last, on Friday, the new stations were finally unveiled and are now servicing the riding public. President Marcos led the unveiling of the marker of the Dr. A. Santos (formerly Sucat) station.

These are important developments, especially for people who live in the northern part of the metro but work in the south or vice versa. This is also a welcome development for travelers because of the stations at the Manila International Airport and the Ninoy Aquino Avenue. Commuters heading to the provinces will also benefit from the connectivity to the PITX.

"Commuters will now see a great reduction in their travel time, allowing them to spend more time with their loved ones," Marcos said.

‘Station after station’ President Marcos said the expansion of the LRT does not end here.