The Department of Transportation (DOTr) inaugurated on Nov 5 the Philippines’ first integrated and multimodal terminal, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX). It will formally open second week of November.
Dubbed as the country’s first “landport,” PITX serves as a transfer point for passengers alighting from provincial buses from Cavite and Batangas, and transferring to in-city modes of transportation bound for Metro Manila’s southwest, and vice versa.
“As the first integrated and multimodal terminal in the southwestern part of Metro Manila, the PITX is a landmark project, a landport that feels and functions like an airport,” President Rodrigo Duterte said in a speech during the inauguration rites.
“With the Build Build Build program in full swing, I assure our people that the government is getting all efforts to construct the necessary infrastructure that would sustain our country’s continued development,” the President added.
Located along the Coastal Road in Parañaque, PITX once operational is expected to reduce the number of provincial buses plying Metro Manila, specifically along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay, and in the EDSA-Taft area.
The landport will provide connectivity between different transport modes and services, allowing efficient and seamless travel for the riding public. Further, no terminal fees will be collected from passengers. It also aims to modernize ground transport options for commuters, and improve passenger flow to and from surrounding road networks such as Cavitex and the ongoing LRT-1 extension project.
“We celebrate a beautiful project, seeking to provide comfort to the Filipino mananakay [commuter], and at the same time, I assure you, Mr. President, that there is no corruption involved in completing this project,” DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
The facility, formerly known as the Southwest Integrated Terminal Exchange, is a public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure project awarded during the previous administration and rolled out under the present administration. In January 2015, MWM Terminals, Inc., a consortium of WM Properties Inc. and Megawide Construction Corp., won the award to build and operate the facility for 35 years.
The first of its kind in structural design, PITX features world-class services, including a state-of-the-art bus reservation and online booking system with seat selection options, an advanced ticketing system with centralized ticketing counters, and 50 automated ticketing kiosks.
PITX has a maximum daily capacity of 100,000 passengers; housing departure, arrival, and bay areas for provincial and city buses, UV express and jeepneys; and parking slots. Park-ride facilities and maintenance areas for vehicle repair are also available.
The country’s first landport also boasts of a wide array of amenities, such as comfortable waiting areas, drinking water stations, free Wi-Fi access, workstation areas, charging stations, locker facilities, telephone booths, centralized shopping center, baby care rooms, breastfeeding stations, clinic, prayer room, pay-in lounge, and clean restrooms. Trolleys and wheelchairs are also available for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Moreover, with public safety and assistance in mind, all operations and activities are monitored through PITX’s 24-hour CCTV system, along with a feedback center available 24/7.
