By Alithea De Jesus
As part of the holiday tradition, San Miguel Corporation, through its infrastructure arm, is waiving all toll fees at its expressways for Christmas and New Year.
Covered will be the major southern tollways Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Skyway, NAIA Expressway, and also the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway in the north.
SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said the “toll holiday” initiative is a yearly tradition for the company to grant motorists temporary free access to the expressways, to celebrate the holidays. “From 10:00 pm on December 24 to 6:00 am on December 25 we will open all our expressways—STAR, SLEX, Skyway, NAIAX, TPLEX–for free to all motorists.
We are doing the same from 10:00 pm on December 31, to 6:00 am on January 1. This is an annual tradition that we do for the benefit of motorists, especially those who have to see family in other parts of the city or have to go home to the provinces,” Ang said.
Ang added that in previous years, many motorists would use the opportunity to travel and spend time with family, friends, and loved ones from other parts of the city or nearby provinces. “This year will be no exception, we’re still implementing the toll holiday, although because of the pandemic, we know we are all asked to minimize contact with others outside our immediate families. But we still thought to open the expressways because it has become part of our commitment to motorists, and a way for us to give a little Christmas cheer,” he said.
“For those who do have a reason, or an urgent need to travel on the expressways on Christmas and New Year’s, we hope you appreciate and enjoy this toll holiday and pass on a small act of kindness to others. Any positive thing you do for others will go a long way, especially during these times” Ang added.