Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday backed the postponement of the EDSA rehabilitation that is supposed to start on June 13.
“We wholeheartedly support the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to temporarily defer the rehabilitation of EDSA,” she said in a statement.
“In these challenging times, it is important to prioritize the welfare and comfort of the people. We understand that this decision is the result of a careful consideration and concern for those who pass by and rely on EDSA every day,” she added.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered the suspension of the EDSA rehabilitation project on Sunday that would have implemented an odd-even coding scheme to restrict access to EDSA.
He said the government would look for a better plan to shorten the repair timeline to just six months to a year, instead of the three-year schedule, citing the original plan would cause significant inconvenience and severe gridlock.
“Likewise, it is important to have a clear and well-organized plan for the rehabilitation of one of the main thoroughfares in Metro Manila. It is important that the project, once it is completed, and while it is still underway, will contribute to the daily lives of our countrymen and the continued development of our economy,” the Quezon City government said.
“We hope that there are innovative technologies and strategies that can be used to accelerate the rehabilitation from the expected two years to a possible six months. We believe that with proper planning and the use of innovative and effective methods, the impact on the public will be less severe,” it added.
Belmonte, however, assured that the city government remains ready to coordinate and support the national government regardless of the final decision and next steps.
The 23.8-kilometer Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred as EDSA, passes through six cities in the National Capital Region—Caloocan City, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay.
It is the longest and most congested thoroughfare in the metro.
