Beneath BGC: What the Metro Manila Subway Means for MGCNLCA
On normal traffic conditions, it takes Senior High School teacher Daniel Dionisio Jr. five to 25 minutes to travel from his Makati home to school. “Traffic is usually quite bad along McKinley Road, [taking around] 15 minutes on the average,” he noted. To avoid heavier traffic, he uses the inner roads of South Forbes Village as an alternate route.
Meanwhile, Olive student Princess Suzanne Louise Yap has to leave her house at Acacia Estates in Taguig no later than 6:50 a.m. to get to school before her 8:00 a.m. class. “We pass by McKinley Road to go to school, and travel time can be from [20 to 40 minutes] depending on the traffic,” said Yap.
For members of the MGC New Life Christian Academy (MGCNLCA) community like Dionisio and Yap, navigating traffic in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is part of getting to and from school each day. With MGCNLCA being within the vicinity of other schools such as International School Manila and British School Manila, getting to school is quite the battle, especially during arrival and dismissal times.
However, this daily traffic along BGC’s streets is expected to worsen once construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project fully begins. The project, led by the Department of Transportation with financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, officially started in 2019 under the administration of Former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The subway aims to make travel across the National Capital Region (NCR) faster and more efficient for citizens with an underground railway projected to span 33 kilometers, connecting from Valenzuela City to Parañaque City through 17 stations across the region.
Last February 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the groundbreaking in the Uptown Bonifacio area for the BGC section of the project. Since then, construction has continued along the planned route, including stations along Kalayaan Avenue, Uptown Mall Bonifacio, and Market! Market! Ayala Malls.
Initially scheduled to begin operations by 2027, the project has been pushed back due to delays such as the COVID-19 pandemic and obtaining underground property rights and right-of-way. Working across different areas in Metro Manila while taking into consideration the region’s frequent disruptive weather also added to the challenges of staying on schedule.
With operations now targeted for 2031, the subway is expected to reduce travel time between Valenzuela to Parañaque to less than 50 minutes. While the subway is expected to improve connectivity around Metro Manila, the five year and seven month plan under Contract Package 105 may temporarily affect MGCNLCA’s daily operations, particularly traffic flow, campus access, security, and scheduling.
According to the school’s Safety, Security, and Logistics Coordinator Nicky Cawaon, the school’s immediate concern is the expected increase in vehicular traffic. Road closures and traffic rerouting could result in longer travel times and changes in campus access, especially during peak hours.
“We are waiting for the BGC Estates Association to call a coordination meeting for all stakeholders and BGC traffic studies by the subway contractor to be completed before locators are updated. That is the only time the school can finalize its plans,” said Cawaon.
Looking ahead, the school plans to review its procedures based on the completed station layout and collaborate with nearby institutions, local authorities, BGC management, traffic marshalls, and project representatives to manage vehicle flow, pedestrian access, and emergency routes during peak hours. Members of the school community will likely need to adjust to new traffic and pedestrian procedures, including possible changes to their arrival and dismissal routines.
Sources:
https://insiderph.com/manila-subway-project-enters-bgc-with-uptown-bonifacio-groundbreaking
https://www.rappler.com/business/market-market-lease-extended-modernization-metro-manila-subway/
