MVP, SMC groups to invest P120-B for Balintawak-Bocaue elevated road network: Marcos

MANILA — Billionaire Manny V. Pangilinan’s group is coordinating with the SMC group to pour in some P120 billion for the development of an elevated road network that will stretch from Balintawak in Quezon City to Bocaue, Bulacan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Thursday.

Marcos said the two conglomerates would work together to construct the new road network that would connect the northern part of Quezon City to Bulacan, one of the Philippines’ most populated provinces.

“Pinakiusapan ko sila na magtulungan sila para madagdagan naman natin yung dinadaanan,” the President said on the sidelines of the opening of a new expressway segment in Metro Manila.

“Very good news ito para sa ating continuing construction para sa pagdaloy ng trapiko sa atin, pagpapabilis at pagbaba ng transport cost,” he said.

“Magiging mas maginhawa ang pagbiyahe ng ating mga workers,” he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announces MVP Group’s P120-billion investment to construct an elevated road network from Balintawak in Quezon City to Bocaue, Bulacan. | via @_katrinadomingo https://t.co/Hpe1AWRriU

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 29, 2026

A day before the President’s announcement, Pangilinan expressed concern over how the Philippines’ economic condition could worsen with the peso dropping to all-time low values against the US dollar, high inflation, and a looming super El Niño. 

“It’s tough out there. It could get tougher with the impact of the El Niño, right? And it concerns us,” said the tycoon, who has stakes in power, utilities, transportation and communications, among other industries.

“In a situation like this, what do you do? Do you dig yourself a foxhole and just hibernate until hopefully this thing blows over? I think that’s not the right thing to do,” he said.

“We have to be proactive in helping the economy recover and helping the government do that in whatever way we can. The best way for us [is] to continue investing, judiciously, of course… It’s not to retreat and hibernate.”

Aside from the planned elevated road network, the MVP group’s North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) has also opened a new 2-kilometer section that spans from Mindanao Avenue in Valenzuela to Quirino Highway in Quezon City.

The P2.20-billion project was completed ahead of the expected exodus of Filipinos from Metro Manila for the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day holidays this weekend, the President said.