JICA and MMDA team up to improve Metro Manila's transportation system using intelligent solutions
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is set to significantly enhance traffic management in Metro Manila, partnering with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the capacity enhancement of the traffic management of the Metropolitan Manila Intelligent Transportation Systems (MMITS) project.
This three-year initiative is a key component of the region’s 5-Year Action Plan for Traffic Management, aiming to ease congestion, improve road safety, boost transport efficiency, and promote inclusive mobility.
MMDA Chairman, Atty. Don Artes, expressed gratitude to JICA, noting that MMITS marks their second collaboration on traffic management, following the recently formulated Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila. “Through this renewed partnership and in line with Bagong Pilipinas Agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we aim to leverage technology, adopt data-driven solutions, and enhance institutional capacities to address traffic challenges,” Artes stated, emphasizing the goal of building a “more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready transportation system for the NCR.”
He also urged continued support from national and local government agencies, as well as the academe, for the project’s success and long-term sustainability.
JICA Philippines Office Senior Representative, Keisuke Fukui, thanked the MMDA and its partners for their strong commitment to addressing Metro Manila’s traffic woes, expressing keen interest in how effectively the MMDA will utilize the project’s resources and guidance.
MMDA General Manager, Procopio Lipana, underscored the importance of a “whole-of-society collaboration” in tackling the metropolis’s traffic challenges.
“With the continued support of JICA, under the leadership of MMDA’s Traffic Engineering Center and Management Information System Staff, and with active participation of all our stakeholders, I am confident that this project will spark smarter, more sustainable, and more efficient mobility solutions for Metro Manila,” Lipana said.
The MMITS project specifically seeks to strengthen the MMDA’s institutional capacity in planning and implementing Intelligent Transport System (ITS) solutions, develop a comprehensive and centralized database for ITS operations, and formulate a tailored ITS Master Plan for Metro Manila.
In their first joint coordinating committee meeting, various stakeholders from national government agencies, local government units, the academe, and other development partners convened to establish the implementation framework, objectives, and roles, ensuring synergy and active participation for the project’s sustainability and achievement of expected outputs.
