Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the EJAP Infrastructure forum on Monday.
Photograph by Maria Romero for the Daily Tribune.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pushing to replicate the EDSA Busway in other parts of Metro Manila to ease traffic congestion and move more commuters, even as a funding squeeze threatens the existing system's operations and modernization next year.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said expanding dedicated bus corridors would allow the government to maximize limited road space, improve public transport efficiency, and reduce the time and money commuters lose to traffic.
However, the expansion push faces a major hurdle after the EDSA Busway received zero allocation under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), prompting the agency to seek the restoration of its P1.756-billion funding proposal.
Speaking at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines’ Infrastructure Forum 2026 on Monday, Lopez stressed that the busway remains one of the few road transport systems in Metro Manila that gives commuters priority over private motorists.
“We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the budget. Again, at the risk of being redundant, the EDSA Busway is the only land transport system in Metro Manila, excluding rail lines, where commuters have a clear advantage over private motorists,” Lopez said.
He pointed out that buses can transport substantially more passengers than private vehicles, making dedicated bus corridors a more efficient use of congested roads.
“If we truly want to be commuter-centric, this is what we should prioritize. A bus can carry at least 50 passengers, or 70 when there are standing passengers, compared to a private vehicle that can accommodate only five,” he added.
The EDSA Busway has served more than 367 million passengers since its launch in 2020 through August.
But while the government wants to bring the busway model to more areas, Lopez warned that failure to secure funding could undermine even the most basic services of the existing system.
“In the very remote possibility that our busway does not receive funding, what will happen to the EDSA Busway project next year? We will not be able to operate it properly. We will have no funds to pay our security personnel.
Government services will deteriorate. If our elevators break down, we will not be able to repair them. It is as simple as that. The stations could become dirty because we do not even know who will clean them,” Lopez explained.
The funding shortfall could also stall modernization projects intended to improve passenger access, safety, and station capacity.
The DOTr is currently rehabilitating busway stations in Bagong Barrio in Caloocan, Balintawak in Quezon City, and Guadalupe in Makati.
New stations are also planned in Cubao, Magallanes, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) to accommodate more passengers and strengthen connections with other public transport services.
Likewise, the DOTr is pursuing major transport investments aimed at reducing congestion and improving connectivity, including the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, MRT-7, Common Station, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
The agency is also advancing the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, Davao Public Transportation Modernization Project, airport upgrades, and port developments to improve passenger and cargo movement across the country.
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