By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(June 1, 2025) – Senators on Sunday touted the decision of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to postpone the rehabilitation of the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) amid concerns that it could worsen the already congested traffic situation in Metro Manila.
Sen. Joel Villanueva stressed that while he supports the government’s initiative to pursue the long-term infrastructure project, the welfare of the Filipinos must be prioritized.
He cited a report by TomTom Traffic, a transportation data company, revealing motorists lost 117 hours or nearly five days in traffic congestion in Metro Manila in 2023.
“If we are truly serious about progress, we need to ensure that there is an extensive consultation with all sectors that will be affected by the rehabilitation project,” said Villanueva in a statement.
Echoing him, Sen. Grace Poe also lauded Marcos for “heeding reason” to delay the project.
“We trust that the following weeks will be spent laying down a comprehensive and efficient plan for traffic management when the rehabilitation is rolled out,” said Senator Poe in a separate statement.
Earlier today, Marcos announced the postponement of the EDSA rehabilitation for a month to reassess its potential impact on commuters and called on concerned agencies to explore technologies to complete the project within six months.
ALSO READ: EDSA rehab hits the brakes: Marcos calls for ‘better way’
EDSA rehabilitation is supposedly scheduled to commence on June 13 and is projected to be finished by 2027. It aimed at addressing the worsening condition of the nearly 24-kilometer thoroughfare in Metro Manila.
Over 460,000 vehicles traversed EDSA daily last year based on the latest data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
A study in 2017 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency estimated the country’s economy loses P3.5 billion daily due to the traffic woes in Metro Manila.
Senator Villanueva, meanwhile, reiterated his call for private employers and government agencies to implement work-from-home arrangements for their workers.
ALSO READ: Villanueva calls for flexible work setups in private sector amid upcoming EDSA rehab
“We would also like to appeal to both the public and private sectors to consider alternative work arrangements, such as remote work, to help alleviate the burden on the workforce particularly in addressing the traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” he said.
(With reports from Maeanne Los Baños-Oroceo, News5)
(JREC)
Our Privacy Commitment
TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.
We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.
Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?
We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:
Where do we get your personal information?
There are several ways we collect your personal information.
Information that you personally provided.
Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
Information we collect during your engagement with us
We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
Information we collect from other sources
Other means of collection of information may be through:
When do we disclose personal information?
There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.
We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.
In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.
How we protect your personal information
The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.
We also put in effect the following safeguards:
TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.
What are your choices?
We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.
If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.
Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph
What happens when there are changes in our Policy?
From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.
You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.