MOTORISTS using the San Fernando-Pulilan stretch of the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) will receive a toll rebate on both northbound and southbound passages beginning noon of September 2, as the tollway operator moves to ease the burden on travelers caught in flooding that has snarled traffic across Pampanga.
The rebate will run until all lanes in the affected stretch are passable to all vehicle classes, Nlex Corp. said, with credits applied directly to a motorist’s radio frequency identification (RFID) account the day after the toll passage.
Non-RFID users were urged to have the device installed to qualify for the rebate and ensure seamless transactions.
The relief supplements the toll-free passage Nlex has extended to provincial buses since August 2026, part of the operator’s continuing effort to support public transport. Regular toll for the Pulilan-San Fernando route is P113 for Class 1 vehicles, P281 for Class 2, and P338 for Class 3.
The flooding stems from continuous Habagat, or southwest monsoon, rains that raised water levels at the Pampanga River, whose overflow inundated San Simon and Tulaoc and overwhelmed the area’s capacity to discharge excess water. The congestion has been concentrated at the Tulaoc Bridge in San Simon.
The rebate was arranged directly between the government and the operator. Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said he personally reached out to Nlex Corp. President Luis Reñon to waive tolls along the corridor.
Beyond the immediate relief, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), has directed Nlex Corporation to put in place a faster warning system for motorists during heavy rains and flooding, including direct SMS or text messages and other accessible platforms.
Lopez said toll operators must anticipate flood-prone areas and alert drivers before conditions deteriorate.
‘Our toll operator must be proactive.Let’s anticipate the spots that must be closely ttracked during heavy rain, so mtorists can be quickly alerted which parts of the expressway are flooded por impassable, and must be avoided,’ he said.
The operator was ordered to issue advisories and rerouting options through variable message signs (VMS), portable VMS, and other channels three hours before expected rainfall and closures.
The TRB has also served Nlex Corporation a Notice to Explain (NTE) dated August 31, 2026, requiring it to account within three days for the flood-induced congestion and to propose measures to mitigate the impact and prevent a recurrence.
In a separate letter on the same date, the operator was directed to consider reimbursing the toll fees of Class 1 motorists forced to make a U-turn along the expressway because of the flooding.
The DOTr and TRB likewise ordered Nlex to provide food and water and to set up portable toilets for motorists stranded in the heavy traffic.
Nlex said it has mobilized emergency, maintenance, traffic management, engineering, and customer service teams, along with pumping equipment and sandbags, to manage water accumulation and assist motorists.
It is coordinating with the DOTr, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Pampanga’s local and provincial governments on the response.
The measures build on Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.’s (MPTC) announcement on Tuesday that it will raise the northbound and southbound pavements in Tulaoc, San Simon, once the Tulaoc Bridge elevation is completed-a permanent fix to flooding that Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda has attributed to a broader provincial drainage problem, with downstream areas like Macabebe and Masantol already full and unable to discharge water toward Manila Bay.
Palace: Free toll
Malacañang announced free toll for a certain section of the NLEx to assist motorists, who were affected by traffic congestion after its part in San Simon, Pampanga became flooded during the weekend due to the heavy rainfall caused by the Southwest Monsoon.
Citing the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the free toll will last until the traffic situation in the Nlex normalizes.
‘This is in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to assist motorists and passengers stranded in traffic on Nlex due to flooding at the Tulaoc Bridge in San Simon, Pampanga,’ Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing on Wednesday.
She said MPTC decided to give free toll after talking with the President and DOTr.
‘The Nlex management-responded positively [to the President],’ Castro said.
Many motorists were trapped in horrendous traffic congestion in the Nlex during the weekend because of the flooding in San Simon, Pampanga.
Castro said DOTr and its attached agency, the Toll Regulatory Board to make sure motorists affected by the traffic congestion will be given food and drinks and access to portalets.
On Tuesday, the Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said it will let the MPTC, which operates the NLEX, decide if it will implement the free toll.