CALAX completion to help lower food prices, Palace says

THE COMPLETION of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) is expected to help reduce food prices by improving transportation efficiency.

Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made the remark in a press briefing Tuesday, after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inspected last week the ongoing construction of CALAX Subsection 3, or the Governor’s Drive Interchange in Cavite province.

The interchange is now 44 percent complete and is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2025.

According to Castro, the timely completion of CALAX will ultimately result in lower prices of commodities as it will help facilitate the efficient transportation of food products.

"If we can reduce the travel time, it will definitely also reduce the fuel consumption and it will benefit all travelers and also those that will transport the food and other necessities. It will also go down, the price will also go down," Castro said.

This 8.64-km. segment will connect Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange to Governor’s Drive in General Trias, Cavite, further enhancing mobility and reducing congestion in the Calabarzon region.

Once operational, this new segment will further enhance CALAX’s connectivity providing faster and seamless travel to General Trias and nearby areas. It will also ease traffic congestion along Governor’s Drive and Aguinaldo Highway.

Upon full completion, the entire CALAX will stretch 45 km. from Mamplasan Rotunda in Laguna to Kawit, Cavite, integrating with major expressways to provide a seamless connection between Cavite, Laguna, and Metro Manila.

CALAX will connect with the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit, providing a more efficient route for motorists traveling between Cavite, Laguna, and Metro Manila, benefiting an estimated 95,000 motorists daily. (Darryl John Esguerra)