MANILA – The government is eyeing lower toll rates at the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) once the tollway becomes fully owned by the state through the PEA Tollway Corporation (PEATC), officials said Thursday.
PEATC President and Chief Executive Officer Delfin Torrecampo Jr. said the tollway operator may reduce toll rates once government ownership reaches 100 percent.
“PEATC is the sole or the only government corporation operating a tollway in the Philippines. So ‘yung tanong po natin kanina, PEATC, through the national government, can subsidize the toll revenues because as of now, hindi muna naming pwedeng ipababa ang toll revenue because it is not yet a hundred percent owned by the government, meron pang joint venture partner (So to answer the question earlier, PEATC, through the national government, can subsidize toll revenues, but for now we cannot lower toll rates because the tollway is not yet 100 percent owned by the government as there is still a joint venture partner),” Torrecampo said.
“But once 100 percent owned na ito ng gobyerno, ng PEATC, for sure one of the target po ng aming chairman of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) is to lower the rate of the CAVITEX compared to other tollways para ‘yung 100 pesos and toll rate per TRB, it can be lowered to let’s say 80 pesos kung tayo na, ang gobyerno na ang may-ari nitong tollway (But once the government fully owns the tollway through PEATC, one of the targets of our chairman is to lower CAVITEX toll rates compared with other tollways—for example, a PHP100 toll rate approved by the Toll Regulatory Board could be reduced to around PHP80 if the government fully owns the tollway),” he added.
Torrecampo said PEATC is earning around PHP3.6 billion annually from its existing tollway operations, equivalent to roughly PHP10 million in daily revenue from about 200,000 vehicles using the tollway daily.
He added that the opening of the CAVITEX C5 Link Expressway Segment 3B is projected to generate about PHP300 million in additional annual revenue from an estimated 11,500 vehicles daily, raising the tollway’s total projected yearly revenue to around PHP4 billion.
Of the projected revenue, about PHP1 billion is expected to be remitted to the national government through value-added tax and corporate income tax.
CAVITEX is operated under a public-private partnership arrangement involving the PRA, through its subsidiary PEATC, representing the government’s interest in the tollway, while Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), through Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC), serves as the private concessionaire responsible for financing, construction, and development of the expressway.
Under this joint venture framework, the government and its private partner coordinate on tollway operations, expansion projects, and toll rate policies subject to the approval of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).
Meanwhile, officials said discussions are also ongoing with tollway partners and regulators on possible interventions and considerations that could benefit motorists, especially with fuel prices being expected to rise amid Middle East tensions.
Anthony Peter Crisologo, chairperson of PEATC and director of the PRA, said the possibility of a toll holiday similar to the one implemented when Segment 2 opened in July 2024 is under study.
“Because this is a joint venture, we have to discuss with our joint venture partners… So we’re not sure yet but I think it’s being discussed by TRB, PEA Tollway, and MPTC as well,” Crisologo said.
PRA Assistant General Manager Joselito Gonzales said the government continues to work with regulators and private partners to ensure toll policies remain responsive to economic conditions.
“Kami po sa gobyerno ay kaisa ng Pangulo sa paghanap ng mga magiging solusyon para ma-address po itong mga pupuwedeng mangyari as a result nitong nangyayaring kaguluhan sa ibang bansa (The government is working with the President in finding solutions to address possible impacts arising from conflicts abroad),” Gonzales said.
He said the PRA, PEATC and private concessionaire Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. regularly hold project committee meetings with the TRB to discuss toll rate petitions and ensure decisions remain sensitive to prevailing economic conditions.
Gonzales added that the presence of a government entity in tollway operations helps temper possible toll rate increases and ensure that the interests of motorists are considered. (PNA)
