CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Fellows of the Pampanga Business Circle (PBC) visited the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corp. main office in Balintawak today, July 9, to check on the status of the Ninoy Aquino Bypass Road, a project seen as key to easing traffic congestion at the NLEX Mexico Exit.
Led by fellow-mentor Rene G. Romero, with fellow director Chef Felix Asuncion, deputy fellow director Vickee Navallo Dela Cruz-Ong, director for administration Joyce del Rosario, and fellow Mark Sison, the group met with NLEX Corp. president and GM Luis S. Reñon and other company officials to discuss infrastructure priorities and tollway upgrades.
With GM Reñon were Tollway Project Development assistant vice president Vik Apuzen, Traffic Operations assistant vice president Robin Ignacio, stakeholder engagement lead Kiko Dagohoy, head for engineering Ryan Mallari, Asset Management vice president Jj Go, Operations and Maintenance Management vice president Charly Española, and Bridge and Interchange assistant vice president Paul Narciso.
While touching on possible long-term improvements to the Mexico Interchange meant to ease traffic between NLEX and surrounding roads, the NLEX officials noted plans remain under study with no finalized details yet.
Business impact
The North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway serve as “the backbone of Pampanga’s tourism growth,” said PBC senior fellow Romero, cutting travel time from Metro Manila and opening the province to weekend and day-trip visitors who previously bypassed Central Luzon in favor of destinations further north or south.
Easier access, he noted, has translated directly into foot traffic for local attractions, resorts, and heritage sites, and that further improvements would only widen that reach.
PBC fellow director chef Felix Asuncion highlighted the expressway’s impact on employment with the NLEX expansion projects, the businesses that sprung up around new interchanges and toll plazas that generated steady work for local labor, from engineering and skilled trades to retail and service jobs. He said the ripple effect extends to smaller enterprises along the expressway corridor that depend on the volume of passing motorists and commuters.
PBC deputy fellow director Vickee Navallo Dela Cruz-Ong cited the culinary and hospitality boom that has followed improved road access, noting that restaurants, cafes, and food establishments in Pampanga, Tarlac, parts of Northern Luzon and nearby towns have benefited from being minutes away from the expressway rather than hours removed from Metro Manila traffic.
She said convenience has become a business driver in itself, with diners and tourists now treating a Pampanga food trip as a viable day plan rather than a major undertaking, and that continued upgrades to entry and exit points would sustain that momentum.
The delegation also toured NLEX Corp.’s traffic command center, getting a look at how the company monitors traffic flow and manages incidents across the expressway.
During the visit, Romero, on behalf of the PBC, asked NLEX Corp. for an update on matters raised during an earlier forum held last March, where Reñon and Senator Bam Aquino had served as resource persons. Company officials acknowledged the request and said a follow-up would be provided. PBC Media