To celebrate this milestone, an awarding ceremony was held on January 27, 2025, at Sequoia Hotel, where certifying body, DQS Certification Philippines President Mr. Romeo Bravo formally presented the certificates to the MPT South Management Committee, led by Officer-in-Charge Ms. Elnora D. Rumawak, along with MPTC’s Chief Human Resource Officer, Atty. Maria Antonette V. Allones.

“This achievement reflects MPT South’s unwavering commitment to excellence, sustainability, and the safety of every motorist we serve,” said Ms. Rumawak.

During the event, MPT South representatives discussed expressway rules and regulations, focusing on RA 2000: The Limited Access Highway Act. Representatives from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), including Mr. Eric Vergara, Information Officer and Lecturer from the Traffic Education Division, and Mr. Asnawi Disomimba, Assistant Head of the Deputation Program Unit, Traffic Discipline Office, shared substantial information on traffic rules in Metro Manila.  

Drayberks participants pledged to prioritize road safety as their primary mission while traversing different expressways and public road networks, ensuring the commuting public’s safety and well-being. “The ‘ALERTO KADA KILOMETRO’ Drayberks Road Safety Seminar organized by MPT South was an invaluable initiative that has equipped our drivers with crucial safety knowledge. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to improving consciousness on road safety in our transport community,” said Mr. John Benedict Santiaguel, General Manager of Tas Group of Companies. 

Arlette V. Capistrano, Vice President for Communications and Stakeholder Management of MPT South, stated, “MPT South will continue to partner with different organizations to ensure that road safety is well communicated. As our top priority, we shall relentlessly advocate and educate on the vital role that each driver plays in ensuring overall safety for themselves and others on the road.” 

MPT South, in its mission to lead in providing a safe and convenient mobility experience for all travelers, is dedicated to ensuring that expressway drivers are conscious of road safety. The “ALERTO KADA KILOMETRO” road safety seminar will continue throughout the year with CAVITEX and CALAX communities, transport groups, and allied services. 

Mr. Raul L. Ignacio, President and General Manager of MPT South, emphasized the importance of RFID for toll transactions to streamline motorists’ journeys. “Utilizing Easytrip RFID at MPTC Toll Plazas significantly reduces travel time compared to waiting in long cash lanes,”. Motorists were also encouraged to download the MPT DriveHub app to efficiently manage their Easytrip RFID account and receive real-time traffic updates across various MPTC toll roads.

“Furthermore,” Mr. Ignacio added, “Poor vehicle maintenance remains a leading cause of breakdowns on expressways, causing inconvenience to motorists. With an anticipated increase in holiday travel during Holy Week, we advise motorists to conduct a thorough BLOWBAGETS check on their vehicles before hitting the road for a smoother travel experience.”

BLOWBAGETS, an acronym for battery, lights, oil, water, brake, air, gas, engine, tire, and self, serves as a comprehensive checklist for vehicle maintenance.

Under the Toll Operation Agreement between the TRB, CIC, and PRA, the CAVITEX toll rates are allowed to be periodically adjusted every three (3) years. Exercising their right, CIC and PRA filed their Petition for Approval of Periodic Toll Rate Adjustment for R-1 Expressway (Seaside to Zapote) and R-1 Expressway Extension, Segment 4 (Zapote to Kawit) before the TRB in 2017.  

Upon careful consideration and diligent review of the submissions, the TRB issued its Resolution granting the Petition and allowing the implementation of the provisionally approved toll rates.  

With this, starting midnight on August 21, 2023, CAVITEX motorists traveling from MIAA Exit to Longos, Bacoor (and vice versa) would be charged the following VAT-inclusive rates per vehicle class at the Parañaque Toll Plaza: Php 35.00 for Class 1, Php 70.00 for Class 2, and Php 104.00 for Class 3. Meanwhile, motorists traversing Longos, Bacoor to Kawit (and vice versa) would be charged at the Kawit Toll Plaza with Php 73.00 for Class 1, Php 146.00 for Class 2, and Php 219.00 for Class 3. 

Through the years, CIC and PRA remain dedicated to enhancing and maintaining the CAVITEX, continuously striving to provide a seamless and safe travel experience for all motorists. They have jointly undertaken various enhancements, including a full asphalt overlay across the entire stretch of the expressway, the construction of the Pacific fly-over and Marina left turning facility, the widening of Las Pinas, Wawa, and Paranaque bridges, and regular heavy maintenance works, to ensure optimal road quality. To enhance the efficiency of its toll collection system, the toll road operator has implemented Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology. This advanced system utilizes smart cameras to instantly recognize and capture vehicle license plates at all toll booths, enabling seamless and fast-track cashless transactions. These improvements have greatly contributed to the safety and convenience of the 160,000 average daily motorists who rely on CAVITEX. 

Mindful of the effect of the toll rate adjustment, CIC will be reactivating the Abante Card program. CIC has initiated the program specifically to support public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers who ply the CAVITEX thoroughfare, including jeepneys, UV Express, and buses. Through the program, PUV operators and drivers can enjoy the old toll rates, helping them sustain their businesses and facilitate affordable transportation options for commuters. 

“We recognize the impact of the toll increase on Class 1 and Class 2 PUV drivers. That’s why we’re reactivating our Abante Card program to provide some relief during this transition. With the Abante Card, PUV drivers will have the opportunity to adjust and enjoy the old toll rates for a period of about three months. We believe this program will help alleviate the financial burden on our valued PUV drivers and provide them with a smoother transition during this time. We remain committed to supporting the PUV community and ensuring their continued success on the road,” said MPTC President and CEO Rogelio Singson. 

The toll reprieve program has been designed to be user-friendly and convenient for PUV operators and drivers. Through a simple RFID enrollment process, operators can easily register their accounts in coordination with their respective transport organizations. Once enrolled, the program will automatically apply the reprieve for a duration of 90 days, starting from the first day of the implementation of the new toll rates. 

Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation is a concessionaire of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the leading tollway and mobility service provider in the country. Aside from CAVITEX, MPTC also holds concession rights for Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark Expressway (SCTEX), NLEX Connector, and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) 

As the country is heading toward halfway to the holidays, travelers who frequently go to Tagaytay for its cold climate will get there faster as the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) is set to make a major milestone this 2022.

In the media update sent to THEPHILBIZNEWS, the Cavite-Laguna Expresswayas eyes to open this Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange in the latter part of the year. This will extend CALAX’ operational sections from Mamplasan, Laguna, to Aguinaldo Highway in Silang, Cavite.  

Already, the 3.9-kilometer 2×2 lane CALAX subsection reaches 56% of completion. Part of the ongoing works includes drainage and bridge constructions, excavation and roadway earthworks, and installation of fence and coco net.  

“The Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange will help decongest the busiest highway in the province of Cavite — the 41-kilometer Emilio Aguinaldo Highway. Motorists from Manila going to the famous tourist destinations of Silang and Tagaytay, Cavite will surely benefit from this upcoming project as it offers convenience and shorter travel time.,” said Mr. Raul L. Ignacio, President and General Manager of MPCALA Holdings Incorporation (MHI).  

Once operational, the Silang Aguinaldo Interchange, aside from the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road Interchange, will be a convenient alternative exit of CALAX for motorists coming from Metro Manila going to the country’s second summer capital, Tagaytay City. The interchange is 16 kilometers away from the city proper of Tagaytay via Aguinaldo Highway, and the travel time is around 20 minutes only. 

Other interchanges of CALAX namely Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, and Kawit are targeted to be completed by 2023. Currently, CALAX’s operational segment spans 14.24-kilometer with interchanges at Greenfield-Mamplasan, Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, and Silang East. Upon completion of the entire CALAX project, it will connect to the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit, Cavite.  

CALAX is a 45-kilometer expressway, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as implementing agency, and with private proponent MPCALA Holdings Inc. (MHI), a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road development arm of Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC).  

MPTC is the biggest toll road developer and operator in the Philippines. Aside from CALAX and CAVITEX, MPTC also holds the concession rights for North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), NLEX Connector Road, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cebu. 

MPTC, the toll road development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), today launched the ‘2022 Happy Holideals’ holiday promo for all Easytrip RFID account holders, with up to P4-million worth of raffle prizes to be given away. 

Registered individual Easytrip RFID account holders plying MPTC’s toll roads — North Luzon Expressway (NLEX); Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), CAVITEX C5 Link, and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) — during this holiday season will have a chance to take home one of two brand-new Geely Okavango Urbans. Twenty winners will also win Php 100,000 each. 

“In spite of the challenges that the pandemic brought to us over the past year, we hope to give our motorists a delightful holiday experience by providing this ‘holideals’ with extravaganza-full prizes,” said MPTC president and CEO Rodrigo Franco, adding that, “this is also our way of encouraging toll road users to use our Easytrip RFID for faster transactions and, it being cash-less, help stay protected against the emerging COVID-19 variants”.

To qualify, motorists must ensure that their RFID accounts are registered.  They may visit  https://mptc.outsystemsenterprise.com/EasytripRegistration/SeRF to check their registration status. Motorists are also required to have at least one passage in any of the MPTC toll roads starting 12:00 AM of December 20, 2021, up to 11:59 PM of January 1, 2022, and must maintain a positive Easytrip RFID load balance during the promo period.

Cash payers are encouraged to install Easytrip RFID stickers in any Easytrip station, in order to qualify for the promo.

MPTC clarified that each motorist is eligible to win only once. The raffle draw will be held on January 3, 2022 and winners to be announced on January 06, 2021 in MPTC’s Facebook accounts (@NLEXexpressways, @cavitexpressway, @OfficialCALAX) and Easytrip Services Corporation (@easytripPH) official Facebook account. 

Visit https://www.easytrip.ph/2022happyholideals/ for complete details. Promo runs from Dec. 20, 2021 – Jan. 1, 2022. Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-133862 Series of 2021.

MPTC is the biggest tollway builder and operator in the Philippines. Aside from NLEX, SCTEX, CAVITEX, CAVITEX C5 Link, and CALAX, it also holds the concession for the upcoming Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cebu.