INTRODUCTION
Vice president Estrada; Secretary Garcia, Chairman Levin; the other partners in the consortium to implement this project; Mayor Mathay of Quezon City and Chairman of the Metro Manila Authority; Mayor Lim; Mayor Abalos; Congressman Yap; our religious leaders; your excellencies, my co-workers in government; mga mahal na kababayan.

I am assured by Chairman Ely Levin — because he did not mention it in his speech — that exactly 12 months from now, at this very spot, we shall have air-conditioning. Kaya magtiis-tiis muna tayo.

And it is with great pleasure that I officially launch with all of you the construction of EDSA LRT 3.

It is also most fitting that this massive undertaking should begin here at EDSA not far from the spot where the renaissance of our nation occurred seven years ago. And just as that event restored democracy and dignity for our country, in Asia and the world, our cornerstone laying today blesses the trail for the renaissance of Metro Manila and the nation as a whole, as we approach the 21st century.

Indeed, the combined efforts of this and the previous administration under my distinguished predecessor, President Cory Aquino, and the daring, and steadfastness and confidence of the EDSA LRT Corporation and its partners here and abroad add another step towards the attainment of our vision of “Philippines 2000!!” to be Asia’s next economic dragon.

Why are we talking about dragons? Because the year 2000 is the year of the dragon. And I am a dragon.
EASING THE BURDEN OF OUR PEOPLE
With today’s groundbreaking, millions of Metro Manilans, as well as many others, including our countrymen probinsiyanos, and not only for our fellow citizens who use public transport, can now look forward to a quick, comfortable and hassle-free commute on EDSA three years from now.

And with this modern mass transit system that will rise from here, we can greatly alleviate the heavy burden imposed on our citizens as they commute across and around metro manila. As it plows along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to F. B. Harrison in Pasay City, this system is expected to carry in its first phase more than 500,000 passengers daily over ten stops in its 18-kilometer route.

Less time spent to the road should translate to more times spent on the job. And since the LRT brings commuters to their destinations safely, smoothly and comfortably, they arrive in their work places in a relatively relaxed, frame of mind. The boost, therefore, to workers productivity and hence to the metro manila economy and to the national economy should be tremendous.

But besides the economic issues, there is a very strong environmental dimension to the EDSA LRT. We all know that the LRT is a clean transportation system. Unlike cars and buses, it has no fuel emissions to add to Metro Manila’s already polluted air.

Our investment in an ecologically sound mass transport system is therefore an investment in the sustainable future of metro manila and an investment in the health of its inhabitants.
A CALL FOR COOPERATION
This project is an expression of our genuine concern for the well-being of our people. And it is a symbol of our renewed will, not just to relieve the traffic congestion our riding public have to go through every day, not just to reduce the pollution in the air and the noise in our streets, but also to simultaneously address all problems including the power shortage and the garbage collection problems that continue to bring misery to our people.

The construction of this LRT system will, for a while, inconvenience the residents and the workers along its path as well as the motorists who will have to find alternate routes to get to their destinations.

However, there is no question that upon completion, this system will result in a smoother flow of traffic and lead to increased economic activities and other forms of development along EDSA that will create many new opportunities for jobs, commerce, housing and recreation. I, therefore, ask for everybody’s cooperation and patience during the construction period.
BUILDING A SOLID INFRASTRUCTURE
This modern mass transit system is also a part of our strategy of building a solid infrastructure which is one of the many requisites for sustained growth. Aside from this LRT, we also have at the planning stage the elevated south super highway system that will extend our modern transportation infrastructure to the countryside.

In two previous cabinet meetings, I also tasked the cabinet and sounded the call to the private sector to think about the connections that have to be made between the LRT and the PNR. And while this was considered not doable in the past, I say, from an engineering professional point of view, that it is doable and we can provide the right of way to make those connections.

I also challenge our planners as well as our investors to look at our international airport of the future, which at this particular stage is most probably going to be sited in the old Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga, and that will need a connection to metro manila and to other points such as points north, as well as to the Subic, Bataan Peninsula. Can you imagine the possibilities of fast transport from that international airport of the future back to Manila, connecting with this LRT system with terminals in our port area back to the present Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which could convert into an alternate international airport as well as a domestic airport into the Makati area, and into the outer ring of metro manila communities providing fast transportation not only for foreign travelers but also our people and integrating land, sea and air transportation. The key to all of that is this project that we inaugurate today.

Finally, this modern transit system manifests the continuing confidence of foreign investor friends to march with the Philippines. And for this project, we thank our American, Czechoslovakian, Indonesian, Israeli, Swiss, and Taiwanese investors in addition to their Filipino entrepreneur counterparts for their confidence in all of us.

The task of the signing, financing, constructing and operating this project is an extraordinary feat of pulling international resources and talents in partnership with domestic capital both private and public. This partnership between the department of transportation and communications representing government and the EDSA LRT Corporation is a call to foreign businesses to invest in a new Philippines. A Philippines that is ready to form strategic alliances that will sustainably develop our resources and our people. A Philippines not only that welcomes foreign investment and foreign capital, but also offers a secure, competitive and profitable environment for that investment to grow. A Philippines that is forward moving and presently engaged in building for the future. A Philippines that is entirely open to modern technology and which will use this technology for the benefit of its people.
CLOSING
I would therefore like to commend in closing, the various agencies involved in this project particularly the EDSA LRT Corporation, the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Metro Manila Authority and the various local government units represented here by their mayors, as well as the ICF Kaiser International corporation, and all others that have partnered to make this project possible.

The construction of the rapid transit system we have launched today will help us propel into a brighter future, faster on a fast-track basis.

Kaya mga kababayan, tapusin natin ito agad upang tuluyan ng umunlad ang bansang Pilipinas.

Mabuhay ang LRT 3!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Mabuhay tayong lahat!

Maraming salamat po.