MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said the newly opened segment of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) will help reduce travel time and lower the transport cost of rice, benefitting both farmers and consumers.
Marcos led the opening of the four-kilometer section of the expressway in Cabanatuan City, part of an east-west Luzon corridor linking Tarlac to Nueva Ecija.
According to the President, travel time between Tarlac and Cabanatuan City will be reduced from one hour and 30 minutes to just 20 minutes.
He added that shorter travel time would also translate into lower fuel consumption amid rising oil prices and help maintain the prices of commodities – especially rice, as Nueva Ecija, known as the Philippines’ “Rice Granary”, produces the majority of the country’s rice supply.
“Ito ay makakatulong na makabawas sa transport cost at sa pagbawas ng transport cost mananatili ang presyo ng bigas (This will help reduce transport costs and, in turn, help keep rice prices stable),” he said.
The new road segment, which is expected to serve around 11,500 vehicles daily, will be toll-free until December to encourage usage and ease traffic congestion along MacArthur Highway.
The CLLEX expansion is part of the administration’s broader push to open key road networks, improving mobility, reducing logistics costs, and mitigating the impact of rising fuel prices resulting from the Middle East crisis.
It complements other recent infrastructure openings, including the CAVITEX-C5 Link Segment 3B and the new NAIA Expressway exit, under the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) strategy to address ongoing energy and transport challenges. (PNA)