An unsolicited proposal submitted by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for a bus terminal, food hub and logistics center at the former oil depot in Pandacan is now on “final stage” of evaluation.

This was revealed by SMC President Ramon Ang during the launching of a food bank and education center in Tondo that was also attended by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Wednesday.

“I believed DOTr and Philippine President (Rodrigo) Duterte love the idea and they want to do it and with the support of Mayor Isko that will be a reality,” he said.

“I think (DOTr) Secretary (Arthur) Tugade is in the final stage of evaluating the proposal and if he gives his approval let's say next month, to build these facilities it will take us two years,” he added.

Ang said the project will help the government decongest EDSA.

“The people and government will benefit from this because the EDSA will be decongested,” he said.

“Can you imagine there will be no bus in EDSA? All of them will go there and have terminal in Pandacan?,” he added.

Ang said the ground floor of the facility will have 300 to 400 loading and unloading bus bay while there will be a market and cold storage facility on the second floor.

Moreno said based on his assessment the project can generate about 10,000 jobs for the people in the city.

Moreno also assured there will never be traffic congestion once the terminal is created.

“It will never have traffic congestion. As you can see there is an on-going sky way here and a connector to the north so everybody will pass by the new created duplicated road vertically,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS