IF YOU are 60 years old in the Philippines, you’ve probably spent five years of your life on the road.
“I think all of us have become subject to traffic jams and once I asked somebody who would commute perhaps from one point to another...we computed it, and if that person is 60 years old, he will have spent an average of five years of his life (commuting). Can you imagine that?” said Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura Q. Del Rosario, during a press briefing Friday on the APEC third senior officials’ meetings (SOM3) ongoing in Cebu.
Infrastructure, including roads and transportation, is one of the topics for discussion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) SOM3. Del Rosario is chairperson of the SOM.
Recently, the Philippines placed fifth in the list of countries with the worst traffic conditions, according to the Traffic Index for 2015 Mid-Year Report of numbeo.com.
Egypt topped the list with a traffic index of 284.51, followed by South Africa (215.34), Thailand (211.86), and Iran (202.90).
The traffic index, according to the website, is “a composite index of time consumed in traffic due to job commute, estimation of time consumption dissatisfaction, CO2 (carbon dioxide) consumption estimate in traffic, and overall inefficiencies in the traffic system.” Numbeo listed 59 countries.
Among the 21 APEC member-economies, only four were not in the list, namely: Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Chinese Taipei.
On the list
The member-economies on the list are Thailand in the third spot, the Philippines (fifth), Russia (seventh), Indonesia (11th), Singapore (12th), Malaysia (13th), China (14th), Hong Kong (16th), Japan (18th), Canada (19th), US (24th), Chile (26th), Vietnam (27th), Australia (29th), Mexico (32nd), New Zealand (48th), and South Korea (56th).
In the course of the APEC meetings in Cebu, a rerouting scheme has been implemented until Sept. 12. As such, no public utility jeepneys (PUJs) are allowed to traverse Juan Luna Ave., from Serging Osmeña Ave. to Archbishop Reyes Ave.
A truck ban has also been extended on the APEC ceremonial routes in Cebu and Mandaue cities from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., which has led to more congestion in other roads.
Lito Maderazo, overall coordinator of APEC’s Cebu organizing committee, said this is a natural consequence.
“Generally, traffic in some areas has been alleviated as we gave priority to the ceremonial roads. Normal ra ni nga mo-traffic,” he said. Compared to pre-APEC days in Cebu, Maderazo believes the traffic situation is not that worse now, considering that more enforcers have also been deployed.
Price to pay
As Cebu’s economy grows, it is natural that people would migrate to the cities and that more would be able to afford cars, Maderazo pointed out.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands alone processes roughly 200 auto loan applications in Cebu every month, said relationship manager Maximo Rey Eleccion.
BPI booked close to P4 billion this year for auto loans for bank clients in Cebu Province, Tagbilaran in Bohol, and Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte.
Maderazo raised that additional infrastructure and an efficient mass transportation system have to be realized, but these will take time.
A study of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) reported that the Philippine economy has lost about P2.4 billion because of its present transport situation. This was shared by JICA consultant and project manager Shizuo Inata, as quoted in news reports, during the Energy and Infrastructure Development Seminar on Japan’s Contribution to the Philippines Infra Development held in Manila last February.
JICA said that traffic jams will cost the Philippine economy “P6 billion a day” starting in 2030.
“Definitely, the finance ministers are going to talk about investment in infrastructure,” del Rosario said.
The APEC Finance Ministerial Meeting will be on Sept. 9-11 in Lapu-Lapu City.