Cavite State UniversityCavite City Campus

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT1st Semester, AY: 2014-2015

MKTG 21

A Case Study About Weighing The Bad And Good In Newly Proposed Skyway 3 In Metro

Manila

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Bachelor of Science in Business Management

Andaya, Shilla Mae S. Researcher

Mr. Paulo AlbanielAdviser

ABSTRACT

This case study was run to ascertain the future transportation of Metro Manila. The Metro Manila Skyway is a fully grade separated elevated highway and motor way serving as the main expressway  in the southern parts of Metro Manila, crossing over much of the existing South Luzon Expressway. It is located within the Metro Manila portion of the SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) from Gil Puyat Avenue (C-3Road) to the Alabang-Zapote Road (AH-26) and crosses through the highly urbanized areas of Makati, Pasay, Parañaque and Muntinlupa relieving the South Luzon Expressway from heavy traffic and alleviates accident. It is estimated to be completed on June 2016. The construction of Skyway are for all the motorists, bus and truck drivers and private drivers in order to raise the level of motoring safety and maintain the smooth flow of traffic

Specifically it attempted to determine whether the construction of Skyway will surely helped drivers to alleviates traffic and lessen the number of accidents.

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the studyNowadays. Philippines is facing different kinds of transportation problems that

can lead to misunderstanding, trouble and death in different parts of our country specially Manila, the Philippine capital.

Traffic are all the vehicles driving along a certain road or in a certain area with different routes. It can be classified as a heavy and light traffic, when heavy traffic emerges there is a possibility that the bus, truck and private drivers who had experienced it would result from an unproductive individuals because of the stress they encounter. Due to the unfollowed rules and regulations, number of accidents increases and became the most problem of our roads such as wrong overtaking and high speed limit of the vehicles. Vice versa when light traffic is present it is just neutral and no problems can be encounter.

As a result of this, the coming out of different constructions were made such as highway, lane, route, expressway, tollways, roads, bridges, and the newly Skyway which is still under construction. Skyway is a fully grade separated elevated highway and motor way serving as the main expressway  in the southern parts of Metro Manila, crossing over much of the existing South Luzon Expressway.

The student decided to choose the topic because of the things I observed and experienced in the present days. This topic caught my attention because it can probably apply and use in reality in our daily lives.

B. Statement of the ProblemGenerally, this study was conducted to determine whether the construction of

Skyway will surely helped drivers to alleviates traffic and lessen the number of accidents.

Specifically, this study wanted to seek answers to the following questions:1. Does the Skyway will help ease the heavy traffic of vehicles in Metro Manila?

2. What will be the effects of this project’s construction to the Filipino people?3. What will be the results of traffic jams resulting from the project’s

construction?HYPOTHESIS

The next few years has been described as “Carmageddon” for Metro Manila, a hell on earth for motorists wanting to travel through the streets of the city. And why not? Metro Manila has always had terrible traffic but the scheduled road works will make things even worse. All of it will start with the promised Skyway 3 extension project, an elevated highway running straight through Manila and Quezon City and connecting the North and South Luzon Expressways.

Other road construction projects include the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway Phase 2, the repair of the Magallanes Interchange, the rehabilitation and improvement of the South Superhighway, the EDSA–Taft Avenue flyover, the Bonifacio Global City to Ortigas Center link road, and the LRT 1 North and LRT 2 East extension projects.

According to the Department of Public Works and Highways, there will be 15 road and infrastructure projects over the coming two years. And in the wake of the public outcry especially over the traffic that will be caused by the Skyway 3 project, the government has offered palliative solutions but has also asked for patience in the interim.

But what does this really mean for the rest of us who have to suffer through the traffic? Looking at it long term, will it decongest traffic? Will it bring economic progress to different parts of the city, especially those affected (or connected) by the new highway? More importantly, how will it change the face of the city in terms of the real estate?

METHODOLOGYThe Sosrobahu: A Thousand Shoulders

The ambitious South Metro Manila Skyway Project (SMMSP) aims to create an infrastructure that makes vehicular travel between Metro Manila and the southern neighboring communities and provinces faster, safer, more comfortable.In undertaking SMMSP,  which primarily involves the construction of elevated expressway from Buendia in Makati City to Alabang in Muntinlupa City,  Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (CMMTC) uses the “sosrobahu,”  the unique technology invented by an Indonesian engineer,  Tjokorda Raka Sukawati, and perfected by Hutama-Karya, a respectable construction

company in Indonesia, where Engr. Tjokorda was a former director.

The “sosrobahu” which means “a thousand shoulder,”  is a frictionless rotating device that allows the construction of elevated roads without major disruption on the flow of traffic on the ground.  It has been extensively tested and used in the construction of the Cawang-Tanjung Priok elevated expressway in Indonesia, where the first actual pierhead rotation was inaugurated by then President Suharto on July 7 , 1988.  This device was since used in many other major viaduct projects in Indonesia.In a conventional cast-in-place concrete pierhead construction,  the scaffoldings occupy a major portion of the existing roadway which can cause major disruption in traffic flow thereby adversely affecting hundreds of thousands of motorists and commuters.The most unique construction methology adopted in SMMSP is the rotation of the pierhead on top of a single column where the “sosrobahu” is embedded between the column and the pierhead being constructed on top of the column on the median initially parallel to the road.

This methology is a very useful traffic management tool for the construction of the Skyway Project along the busy South Luzon Expressway as it allows traffic to flow at all times along the expressway below and avoid extensive rerouting measures during the construction of the massive pierheads since the scaffoldings are made to occupy the road median only.  Once the pierhead concrete reaches its required strength,  it is rotated is constructed to its final position perpendicular to the expressway below and locked to the column by means of U-shaped post-tensioned cables and anchor bars, ready to support the elevated roadway.

RESULTS

Promised Benefits of New Highways

Economic losses incurred by traffic congestion have been huge. A study published by the National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) showed that Metro Manila traffic congestion cost Php137.5 billion in 2011 and an incredible Php1.5 trillion for the past 11 years.

The 14.8-kilometer six-lane elevated highway,as well as the other road construction projects, have been promised to decongest traffic in the city. Specifically, the Skyway 3 will supposedly reduce travel time from Buendia to Balintawak from two hours to 20 minutes or less as well as the volume of traffic on the main thoroughfares by 55,000 vehicles a day.

Professor Jose Regin F. Regidor of the Institute of Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines and former NCTS head said the Skyway 3 will divert “through traffic currently being carried by such major roads” between NLEX and SLEX. He added, “However, unlike the existing roads, traffic will be faster because the Skyway will also be a tollway so not everyone will be willing to pay the toll fees.”

Rene S. Santiago, president and CEO of Bellwether Advisory and an international consultant on transportation planning and development, said the new Skyway is a long-delayed saving grace for the circumferential roads that serve as the beltways of the city—like C-4 (EDSA) and C-3—because of the city’s aversion to short-term traffic congestion.

Santiago noted one economic benefit of the Skyway 3: “Elevated highways are favorable for commercial delivery—like cargo trucks—as they can avoid the truck bans (within the metro). This is cheaper in the end despite the (extra expense of) toll charges. Trucks can do three to four turnarounds as against non-elevated roads without a toll fee.”

ANALYSIS

New Roads Are Not the AnswerHowever, the current thinking among urban planners and traffic engineers is that

building more roads isn’t the solution as this creates a “fundamental law of traffic congestion.” This law is about how expanding highways and roads increase congestion by creating more demand. That is, people are inclined to drive more when there are more roads to drive on, regardless of the state of traffic. 

“More roads do not necessarily bring improvement to cities, as they invite more private car-use and more traffic,” Santiago pointed out. Regidor agreed, stating that: “New roads like the Skyway 3 are also perceived to ultimately promote more road use and therefore more vehicles on the road.”

Benjamin De La Peña, Director of Community and National Strategy for the Miami-based nonprofit organization Knight Foundation, agreed. He quoted Walter Kulash, who had pioneered rethinking traffic engineering: “Trying to cure congestion with more capacity is like trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt.”

“Our elected officials still think that we have a ‘traffic congestion’ problem when what we really have is a transportation problem,” De La Peña pointed out. “Four out of every five residents of Metro Manila travel by public transit: buses, jeeps, tricycles, and, yes, light rail and trains. And yet, they are building these road projects with only one measure of success—relieving traffic congestion.”

Traffic as a Sign of Economic Growth

However, an interesting point that needs to be raised is that traffic congestion is suggestive of economic growth. A 2013 study made by Matthias Sweet, a researcher at the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics at McMaster University (Ontario, Canada), noted that higher levels of congestion can be initially associated with economic growth. However, at a certain level, traffic congestion starts to drag down the said growth.

“ What we do know is that traffic congestion goes hand in hand with economic growth. You cannot find a single, economically booming city in the world that is free of traffic congestion,” De La Peña said. “We also have lots of cities in the US that have miles and miles of highway but don’t perform as well economically as the booming, traffic-congested cities.”

In other words, traffic congestion is unavoidable if we want to prosper economically. What’s more, Sweet’s study did not find any level of traffic congestion so awful that it stunted economic growth. But De La Peña also pointed out new highways doesn’t indirectly mean there is economic growth.

“The jury’s out on that but I think it’s a wash,” he said. “While highways are great for real estate developers because they open up new green fields, they also expand the area that needs urban services, like water, sewer, and the like. The increase in tax

receipts from newly developed land is quickly eaten up by the cost of expanding service.”Proposed Skyway 3 map

The Right Plan for the Right LocationTherefore, new highways leading into and out of Metro Manila and more people

living outside of the city as a way to decongest the metro may not necessarily be a good thing, De La Peña said. “I think ‘decongesting’ Metro Manila—meaning trying to reduce its population—is a futile effort.”“You’re assuming that [the new highways] will give easy access [into the city]. I think the roads will improve traffic for a time, but we know that new roads quickly fill up and you’re back to where you started,” he said. On the other hand, he said that “[The highways leading out of the metro] might open up formerly agricultural lands to development that, in theory, increases the supply of housing. But that cheaper housing [built] on cheaper land comes with the increased costs of travel.”He explained that instead of having people traveling from afar to get to work in the city, we should think of having people living in the city near their work. He said: “We have to pay attention to [both] transportation and land use. As the real estate maxim goes: it’s all about location, location, location.”

He put forth the ASI approach as proposed by the late Lee Schipper: Avoid, Shift, Improve (ASI). He said: “Our first strategy should be to try to avoid having people travel by vehicles so we reduce car use. If people could live close to where they work, could walk, or take a short transit ride, then you would take cars off the road.” 

“We should also shift people toward more efficient modes and improve the modes that can move more people. If our public transit was fast, efficient, predictable, and dignified, then more people would take it instead of taking private vehicles,” he added. “If we made it safe and easy to bike to work or school, then we will relieve traffic congestion.”

Making In-roads into Real Estate

Given that the construction of the Skyway 3 is inevitable, what does that entail for the real estate within Metro Manila? A number of studies have noted that new areas via new or improved highways do affect the real estate of the surrounding areas—especially those near the access points.

According to separate studies by John Landis and company (1995, The University of California Transportation Center, University of California) as well by Jack Tomasik (1987, Arizona Department of Transportation), there will be a “strong, positive effect” on nearby real estate by major improvements of existing transportation infrastructure—but highly localized and to a lesser degree than those caused by the original construction. Santiago reiterated this point when he said that the Skyway 3 will have a negative real estate effect in areas along its path, but a positive one farther out or near its exit and entry ramps.

“If you look closely as you travel NLEX and SLEX, they are fenced or inaccessible to real estate along its path,” he said. “But near the exit gates, developments abound because properties in that zone have higher accessibility. Elevated roads also have limited access, even if they run smack into highly urbanized areas.”

Meanwhile, Regidor pointed out that new roads usually translate to higher land prices along right-of-way of roads. However, he said that the Skyway 3 as an elevated tollway may produce a similar impact such as the existing Skyway and the LRT 1 and 2. 

“The latter cases of elevated railway lines [like LRT 1 and 2] may be better comparisons since much of the existing Skyway does not produce blight due to the wider spaces along SLEX,” he said. He added that the Skyway 3 will be more like LRT 1 and 2 in how it affects both natural and artificial light underneath the elevated constructs. They’ll also contribute to more emissions and noise given the number of vehicles that will use it.

However, De La Peña doubted that the Skyway 3 will affect the real estate status quo of Metro Manila. “I don’t think it will have an effect on the overall picture. We still have a mismatch between supply and demand [due to higher travel costs because cheaper housing is still located at a distance].”

Better Long-term Planning Is Needed

Santiago, Regidor and De La Peña are in agreement that the construction of the new roads will probably engender more traffic. Likewise, they have raised different strategies to alleviate the traffic situation in other articles, ranging from better or improved public transit systems to the creation of a new traffic management authority with enough teeth.

One fortunate thing about the road constructions is that the national government is aware of the traffic situation and trying to remedy the problem. What’s more, they’re willing to bite the bullet of heavy social media criticisms by looking at the long-term solutions.

The problem here is that the government’s urban planning solutions have already been disproven by both local and international experts in solving our traffic woes. What’s the point of suffering heavy traffic now due to the road construction projects just to lessen traffic in the near future—but later on, things will revert back to the normal traffic congestion? 

CONCLUSIONWe oppose the construction of the Skyway Stage 3 Project and we condemn

Pres. Noynoy Aquino for hyping it as the solution to Metro Manila’s traffic problem.

The Skyway Stage 3 Project will not solve, but merely worsen, the heavy traffic of vehicles in Metro Manila’s roads. In accordance with the dictates of car manufacturers and the oil cartel, the project will encourage an increase in the volume of cars in Metro Manila’s roads. It is worth noting that the first Skyway did not solve the traffic problem in the South Luzon Expressway and nearby roads.

We condemn Aquino for going gaga in trying to make the public accept the monster traffic jams that will be caused by the project’s construction. The P26.5 billion-worth Skyway Stage 3 Project will benefit his uncle Danding Cojuangco, chairman of San Miguel Corporation, part of joint venture Citra Central Expressway Corp. which will undertake the project. Cojuangco has been consolidating his empire in the oil and power sectors under the Aquino administration.

We condemn efforts that will inconvenience the riding public because of the project’s construction. Calls to implement a four-day workweek will mean greater exploitation of workers. Calls for workers to leave their homes early in order to avoid the traffic jams resulting from the project’s construction is most insensitive to workers already working overtime and having less time with their families.

The Skyway Stage 3 Project highlights the pro-capitalist and anti-people nature of the projects being undertaken by the Aquino government under its Public-Private Partnership program. This big project will mean a gigantic burden for the Filipino people who will pay for the project’s construction and endure the traffic jams it will cause. It clearly illustrates why the PPP must be junked.

What will help ease the heavy traffic of vehicles in Metro Manila is something that the Aquino government is not doing: the creation of an efficient, affordable and safe mass transportation system aimed at serving Filipinos and not increasing the profits of big capitalists. Instead of increasing subsidy to the MRT and LRT and renegotiating contracts for the train systems, for example, the Aquino government is privatizing the train systems and trying to increase their fares.

REFERENCE

Websites http://www.skyway.com.ph/news/12-the-making-of-the-skyway.html http://www.philstar.com/unblogged/technology/2011/04/14/675585/the-right-kind-

transportation-metro-manilas-future http://www.skyway.com.ph/ http://www.anakbayan.org/statement-skyway-at-ang-pangulong-perwisyo/ http://www.skyway.com.ph/news/32-sosrobahu.html

http://www.zipmatch.com/real-estate-news-and-advice/lifestyle/weighing-the- good-and-the-bad-of-the-new-skyway-3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researcher would like to express her thanks and sincere appreciation to the following persons and agencies who in one way or another has contributes much in the fulfillment of this study.

Mr. Paulo Albaniel, the marketing adviser, for providing ideas which led to conceptualization of this study and for his technical assistance and guidance for the completion of the study.

To her parent for their unconditional love, moral and financial support that encourage her and serve as her inspiration in conducting the study.

To the beloved Bm-2C , for their encouragement and supportTo the free websites that gave additional informationAnd above all, to the LORD ALMIGHTY, who gave them knowledge, strength,

and patience to conquer all the hardships encountered in conducting the study. And to those, who in way or another, have contributed to the success of this study, to them this humble piece of work is dedicated.

APPENDIXThe Skyway's proposed future

What's in store for the Metro Manila Skyway's northern terminus, which currently ends at Buendia Avenue? The original development plan's Phase 3 called for the Skyway to link up to Mindanao Avenue — which would create a direct connection between the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and its northern counterpart (NLEX).

Looking at a map of Metro Manila, however, it's clear that making Phase 3 a reality will be challenging. Somehow, this Skyway extension has to cut through Quiapo and Sta. Mesa Heights, not to mention bridge the Pasig River. Both areas are thoroughly developed, with no large continuous road that can be built over. And as many Filipinos know, securing right-of-way for transportation development projects can take years.

But an unsolicited Phase 3 development bid, made by Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corporation (a subsidiary of the NLEX operator), presents a solution: building the northbound Skyway extension over the Philippine National Rail (PNR) Orange Line.

The PNR Orange Line avoids Quiapo, crossing España Boulevard northeast of UST, snaking its way through Caloocan City up to Valenzuela City. A Skyway extension

built over it could turn right on Dimasalang before the PNR Blumentritt station, then make its way northwards along Andres Bonifacio Avenue to link up with NLEX.

The benefits of a Phase 3 Skyway extension are clear. Aside from creating a parallel route that will relieve traffic on EDSA somewhat, the extension will also make Old Manila, Quezon City, and Caloocan City more accessible.

An alternative: Rail instead of roads

However, even if the connection between SLEX And NLEX is made, the number of cars in the Philippine capital will continue growing. Would the significant capital required for completing the Skyway be better spent on transportation that moves more people for less space?

Here's what I once wrote about efficient public transportation as the great equalizer:

Modern mass transit rail lines represent the pinnacle of transportation technology. Fast-moving trains running smoothly can move thousands, even millions of commuters very efficiently. A good network of rail lines promises cheap and fast transportation for the citizens of any metropolis as densely populated as Metro Manila. Good transportation, like free communication, is the great equalizer. It creates more opportunities, as people who can move around quickly on a budget can accomplish more.

As one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world, Metro Manila's residents would benefit more from a comprehensive elevated rail network. Even more so, as the metropolis' population grows constantly.

City governments in other countries like Taiwan, Singapore and China have pushed for mass transit rail because it frees their constituents from paying for a car, as well as associated costs such as fuel, maintenance and parking. An efficient and comfortable rail system also improves a city's air quality by reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

Would you rather fight through traffic, wasting several hours on a daily basis, or rely on rail transportation that's comfortable, much more efficient, and, most importantly, cheaper? No doubt, riding along EDSA's MRT Blue Line can be a difficult experience. Daily commuters have to squeeze themselves into train cars like sardines during rush hour, and tempers can flare due to the long lines and crowded spaces.

The same is true for the Yellow Line, which travels along Taft Avenue. Only the Purple Line, traveling westward from Marikina to Old Manila, is relatively comfortable. Aside from a lower number of daily passengers, the line also features more spacious train cars. But even the Purple Line isn't free from inefficiency. For some reason it doesn't directly intersect with the EDSA Line, forcing transferring passengers through a five-minute walk.

Like many other infrastructure projects in the Philippines, the four rail lines within Metro Manila represent the inefficiency and lack of proper execution Filipinos associate with

public services. Yet that doesn't mean that we should dismiss rail as a solution to Metro Manila's eternal traffic problem.

In fact, the metropolis should step up its rail development. Adding another north-south line would relieve the load from the EDSA and Taft lines, while an east-west line passing through Pasig and Mandaluyong would make these cities more accessible.

Just like for the proposed Skyway Phase 3 development, securing the right-of-way for additional rail lines in Metro Manila will also be challenging. But again, it's better to spend the public's money and political will on transportation that moves more people efficiently.