President Marcos opens CALAX segment, announces one month free toll

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the opening of the 7.88-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) Subsection 3, on Monday, May 4.

The subsection extends the expressway to the Governor’s Drive Interchange in General Trias, Cavite—a development expected to significantly speed up travel from Cavite to Metro Manila and vice versa.

“I can announce na mabuksan ito starting 12 midnight tonight and for one month, wala na muna toll. So, ‘yung ating mga kababayan, gamitin po ninyo, makita ninyo, maramdaman ninyo na ang malaking ginhawa na dinadala nitong mga ganitong malalaking project,” President Marcos said during the opening ceremony in Barangay San Francisco in General

Trias.

CALAX Subsection 3, which connects the Governor’s Drive Interchange to the Aguinaldo Interchange, will be toll-free for all vehicle classes for one month. Motorists, however, will continue to pay existing toll rates for CALAX Subsections 4 to 8, covering the stretch from Mamplasan in Biñan to Silang in Cavite.

The President, joined by key officials, inspected the newly opened stretch after boarding a van from the Silang Aguinaldo Interchange. Among those present were Juanito Victor Remulla Jr., Vince Dizon, Giovanni Lopez, and Jose Ma. K. Lim.

Marcos also expressed gratitude to Remulla, noting his role in advancing the project during his tenure as Cavite governor, as well as to the MVP Group for its role in the development of CALAX.

“Kaya’t dinahan-dahan nung the then Governor Jonvic, was one of the main movers of all of these. Kaya’t mabuti naman at ngayon nabubuksan na natin,” he said.

“Kaya’t nagpapasalamat tayo sa MVP Group at sa lahat ng mga tumulong at I’m sure eh mararamdaman nga natin ang magiging mas mabilis at mas maginhawa na pagbiyahe na papasok sa Metro Manila,” the President added.

The new segment is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Biñan, Laguna and General Trias, Cavite, from about an hour to approximately 26 minutes, while easing congestion along major roads in Cavite’s industrial and residential corridors.

“Bubuksan natin itong section, which is about four and a half kilometers. ’Yung dating kalahating oras na biyahe ay magiging five minutes na lang, six minutes, kaya’t malaking bagay ito,” Marcos said.

Designed to accommodate 6,000 more motorists daily, CALAX currently spans 26 kilometers from Mamplasan. The expressway will extend to 44.6 kilometers, linking the Manila-Cavite Expressway in Kawit to the South Luzon Expressway in Mamplasan, if plans go well.

The expressway network will feature eight interchanges: Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa–Tagaytay, Silang East, Silang (Aguinaldo), Governor’s Drive, Open Canal, and Kawit.

“At hindi lang kasi mabibilisan eh dahil ma-relieve din ang traffic. At tinitingnan namin doon sa mapa ay ‘yung inaantay natin na matagal na galing dito sa Silang hanggang Kawit na. ‘Yung dati mga dalawang oras, magiging kalahating oras, 45 minutes na lang,” he said.

“At ulit, kahit na nagtatrabaho ka sa Taguig, pwede kang nakatira dito sa Cavite. Kaya’t magandang-maganda na matapos na natin ito. This is ten years in the making at pahirapan kasi as usual ‘yung nagiging problema natin sa lahat ng construction ng mga kalsada ‘yung right of way,” the President added.

Once fully integrated, the CALAX network is projected to serve up to 95,000 vehicles daily, strengthening regional mobility and supporting trade across southern Luzon.