SCTEX Interchange eyed in Hermosa, Bataan — BCDA
According to the BCDA, the interchange will be a joint collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), NLEX Corp., and the local government of Hermosa, as part of the long-term development strategy to boost regional connectivity along the SCTEX.
'More than just an infrastructure, this interchange will unlock a new gateway to economic opportunities for Central Luzon — providing much-needed support for the region's growing logistics and manufacturing sectors, and generating more jobs for Filipinos,' BCDA president and chief executive officer Joshua Bingcang said in an emailed statement.
'In support of the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative, the enhancement of SCTEX will drive industrial growth and strengthen the region's role as a key engine of national progress,' he added.
The SCTEX — a 94.62-kilometer expressway connecting Tipo, Subic and La Paz, Tarlac — involves a 35-year concession agreement between the BCDA and the Pangilinan-led NLEX Corp. Under the current agreement, each party receives 50% of the revenues.
Aside from the SCTEX, NLEX Corp. also operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX), the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), and the NLEX Connector. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
14 hours ago
- GMA Network
ADB extends $400-M loan to support PH food stamp program
Manila-based multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing the Philippines a multi-million dollar loan to expand the country's flagship initiative to combat hunger and food insecurity in the country. In a statement on Wednesday, the ADB announced it has approved a $400-million loan for the Philippines' Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers Project, which will expand the Walang Gutom (Zero Hunger) Food Stamp Program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The Japan-led multilateral lender said the loan will help finance the delivery of monthly electronic food vouchers to 750,000 food-insecure households nationwide. "With nearly half the Philippine population unable to afford a healthy and nutritious diet, food vouchers are essential to help poor and vulnerable households meet their nutritional needs," said ADB Deputy Director General for Southeast Asia and concurrent Country Director for the Philippines Pavit Ramachandran. "This project reflects ADB's commitment to improving food security and nutrition so that all Filipinos can thrive," Ramachandran said. In December last year, the DSWD launched the Walang Gutom 2027 Food Stamp Program. It currently has 300,000 beneficiaries. Under the program, the agency provides monetary-based assistance in the form of an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that will be loaded with monthly food credits amounting to P3,000 to purchase a select list of food commodities from partner merchant store. The ADB said poverty and food insecurity contribute to undernutrition, with nearly 30% of Filipino children under the age of five are stunted. This reflects long-term nutritional deficiencies, the ADB said, that impair learning, health, and future productivity. The lender said childhood undernutrition is also estimated to cost the economy $8.5 billion annually, underscoring the urgent need for targeted multisector solutions. The ADB said the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is co-financing the food stamp initiative with a loan of 200 million euros ($220 million) and the OPEC Fund for International Development with a loan of $150 million. The lender added that it provided technical assistance to the DSWD to pilot the delivery of electronic vouchers in five locations from December 2023 to July 2024 in partnership with the World Food Programme. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Instructure eyes 100% growth in PH market in next 5 years
Education technology ecosystem developer Instructure Holdings Inc. is optimistic to grow its Philippine business by at least 100% in the next five years, with the firm investing in a new office in the country amid its growing user base. According to Instructure managing director for Asia-Pacific Harrison Kelly, the company posted 100% growth in its number of its customers and students from 2020 to 2025, which it is looking to sustain from 2025 to 2030. "We are hugely supportive of this market and we think there is going to be significant uptake of digital model learning technologies, and we're humbled to be able to be a part of that," he told GMA News Online in an interview in the company's new office space in Quezon City. "We look forward to continued growth in the same rate that we've seen since 2020, if not more, and we can't wait to see what that means not only for institutions and education, but also for how we're helping supporting the job market, how we're thinking about digital literacy, the digital infrastructure that we're investing in here, and at the core of that is Filipinos. We're very happy with that," he added. Kelly did not provide absolute figures for the current customer base of the company. With Instructure's Asia-Pacific headquarters located in Sydney, Australia and its main office in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company deemed it fit to establish an office in the Philippines, after launching operations in the country in 2017. "We have opened and invested in this office because we know that this is the next chapter of our growth," Kelly said, noting that the company currently has a workforce of 150 in the Philippines, with expansions planned out that would be commensurate to the growth in the market. "One of the reasons in which we've invested in this market is because we believe that our mission and how we've anticipated the future is really aligned with what DepEd (Department of Education) and CHED (Commission on Higher Education) are doing," he added. The Philippine office also comes as the country is said to be Instructure's top market in the region. It is set to strengthen the company's global 24/7 support model for educators and institutions for its flagship product Canvas learning management system (LMS). "We are establishing a formal presence in the Philippines to better serve the unique needs of our growing customer base," Kelly said. Based on the Instructure's 2025 State of Higher Education - Philippines Report, 83% of educators in the country prioritze lifelong learning for students, but 93% agreed that an improvement in technologies and infrastructure would ease the implementation of lifelong learning initiatives. Instructure's Canvas is being used in top-rated universities in the Philippines, including the Ateneo de Manila University, the De La Salle University, and the University of Santo Tomas. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
PLDT lowers capex guidance for 2025
Pangilinan-led telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. has lowered its capital expenditure (capex) ceiling for 2025. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, PLDT said its full-year capex guidance stood at P63 billion, from the original target of P68 billion to P73 billion for the entire year. The telco said the lowered capex ceiling for 2025 was 'due to more favorable pricing and successfully negotiated terms with vendors.' As of the first half of 2025, PLDT said its capex amounted to P27.4 billion, down from P35.1 billion in the same period last year. The telco saw its bottom line decline slightly in the first half of 2025 due to cost pressures during the period, with reported income amounting to P18.1 billion, down 1% year-on-year. 'Our results for the first half of 2025 show the resilience of our business and the strength of our people. We continue to invest in the future—expanding our network, enhancing customer experience, and driving innovation across our businesses. In a challenging environment, we remain committed to delivering value to our customers, shareholders, and the country,' said Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT and Smart chairman and CEO. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
