SMC, Guico Break Ground for P34-B Expressway

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza and Ruby Bernardino

LAOAC, Pangasinan – The top honcho of the behemoth San Miguel Corporation and the governor of one of the biggest provinces ground break the first phase of the almost 43 kilometers expressway in Pangasinan.

MARKER. San Miguel Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Ang (second from right) and Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico, III (second from left) prepare to unveil the marker of the ground breaking ceremony of the P34 billion almost 43 kilometers Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) held Thursday at Brgy. Baligi in Laoac, Pangasinan. Others in photo are powerful Commission on Appointment Vice Chairman and Pangasinan 5^th District Cong. Ramon “Monching” Guico, Jr. (extreme right) and Pangasinan Vice Governor Mark Lambino (extreme left).  Photo and caption by Mortz Ortigoza 

Spearheaded by Governor Ramon V. Guico III and President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Ang of the San Miguel Corporation (SMC), the P34 billion project - a historic first in the province of Pangasinan - is part of SMC’s broader initiative to enhance the road networks in Central and Northern Luzon.

In this part of the province, PLEX is a realization of an ambitious dream of the governor to bolster the province’s economic and tourism growth and a “game changer” for Pangasinan.

“Naramdaman po namin ang pag-unlad dahil sa infrastructure projects sa TPLEX (Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway owned too by SMC). The same mode if you’re able to construct this Pangasinan Link Expressway opens so many doors to other towns and cities sa Pangasinan definitely. There will be growth in business, investment, there will be more jobs and more ease in travel within the province and outside the province,” Governor Guico said.

It can be recalled that the joint venture and tollway concession agreements between the two parties were officially sealed on October 19, 2023.

“PLEX is set to connect the east and the west of Pangasinan improving travel and drives the economic development. This project is part of our commitment of improving the lives of our kababayan by creating jobs and opening up more economic opportunities at no cost to the government,” stressed by Ang – the No. 4 richest billionaire in the Philippines with U.S$3.3 billion in assets according to Forbes 2024.

The first phase of the 42.76-kilometer gigantic project will span from the town of Binalonan to the capital town of Lingayen.

Project segments include 6.9 kilometers (km) from Binalonan to Manaoag; 11.3 km. From Manaoag to Calasiao; 2.39 km in the Calasiao area; and 22.7 km from Calasiao to Lingayen.

PLEX is a four-year public-private partnership initiative that is expected to change Pangasinan’s inland connectivity to facilitate faster movement of people, commodities, and services.

With its establishment, travel time from Binalonan to Lingayen will be reduced from an hour and 40 minutes to only about 20 to 30 minutes.

In 35 years, PLEX will be owned by the provincial government.