Pangasinan expressway to spur tourism, growth potential in Northern Luzon
MANILA, Philippines — The Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX), when completed, will further hasten in-land travel time to, from and around Northern Luzon. In the province of Pangasinan alone, tourist destinations like the Hundred Islands as well as pilgrim sites like the Our Lady of Manaoag Church will be much more accessible to travelers sojourning to what once were destinations that needed more time to reach.
During a media conference at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen, Pangasinan, governor Ramon Guico III and San Miguel Corp. president and chief executive officer (CEO) Ramon S. Ang inked an agreement for a joint venture and toll concession, wherein the PLEX will be totally owned by the province after 35 years.
"This is our way of re-inventing the traveling terrain and contour in Pangasinan. We want a systemized, comprehensive approach in navigating through Pangasinan by creating a road map never before imagined to be possible. We will also be building the Bolinao airport. This is bolstered by land connectivity with the expressway. Tourism comes to the province, plus our new ports will create more travel links. We may also revive the railway system because right of way is still in place.
"The PLEX is a major infrastructure project that re-invents the transportation landscape, prioritizes accessibility of citizens to major towns and cities, magnifies business and livelihood opportunities, multiplies economic activities, build more useful infrastructures, facilitates in-land travel and protects our environmental resources. By 2025, the province will be producing 1,000-megawatt of solar energy from farms in Western Pangasinan that will greatly help in our energy requirements.
"Our agenda is to secure a safe, stable, sustainable future! This is our road to progress for posterity. This is our way of increasing our inland connectivity through North Luzon to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services, and our answer to the problem of traffic congestion. Expropriation proceedings might be needed to facilitate right of way acquisitions," said Gov. Guico III in his speech.
PLEX stretches the travel landmarks from the easternmost to the westernmost towns of
