President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday led the opening of the 7.88-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) Subsection 3, a major infrastructure addition expected to ease traffic, shorten travel times, and strengthen economic activity in Southern Luzon.
The new segment, which connects Silang (Aguinaldo) to the Governor’s Drive Interchange in General Trias, Cavite, will officially open to motorists at midnight of May 5 and will be toll-free for one month. However, standard toll rates will still apply to the other operational sections of CALAX from Mamplasan in Biñan, Laguna to Silang, Cavite.
“So, ‘yung ating mga kababayan, gamitin po ninyo, makita ninyo, maramdaman ninyo na ang malaking ginhawa na dinadala nitong mga ganitong malalaking project,” Marcos said, encouraging motorists to experience the improved connectivity firsthand.
The President said the new stretch will significantly cut travel times, including reducing the Taguig to Cavite trip to about five to six minutes from roughly 30 minutes, and shortening the Silang to Kawit drive to around 45 minutes from two hours. Travel between Biñan and General Trias is also expected to drop to about 26 minutes from one hour.
Marcos noted that the project took nearly a decade to complete due to right-of-way and other implementation challenges, but credited the collaboration of government agencies and private partners for finally delivering the long-awaited segment.
He acknowledged the role of Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, who is also a former Cavite governor, as well as the MVP Group, which includes MPCALA Holdings Inc., the developer and operator of CALAX under Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation.
The President, accompanied by key officials including Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. President Emeritus Jose Ma. Lim, conducted a windshield inspection of the new expressway section.
Once fully completed, CALAX will span 44.6 kilometers, linking the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Mamplasan. The network is designed to handle up to 95,000 vehicles daily and will feature eight interchanges aimed at improving access across key growth corridors in Cavite and Laguna.
With the opening of Subsection 3, officials said CALAX now extends 26 kilometers from Mamplasan to General Trias, marking another step in the government’s push to expand transport infrastructure under the Marcos administration.