TARLAC, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Travel time between Manila and the rest of northern and southern Luzon has significantly been reduced over the last decade with the completion of major toll expressways.

There’s the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) which connects Manila and the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga; there’s the Tarlac-Pangasian-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) which connects to the provinces south of Pampanga; there’s the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) which connects to the cities and towns south of the metropolis.

On May 8, the day before the 2016 presidential elections, President Aquino will inaugurate the latest infrastructure project in this network of expressways — the HLEx, or the Hacienda Luisita Expressway.  It connects Quezon City where the private residence of the Aquinos is located to the family’s vast agricultural estate in Tarlac.

The opening of HLEx cannot be more timely, as Aquino’s successor will be chosen the day after.  It is believed that the impetus for the construction of the new expressway is to facilitate the travel of Aquino the private citizen from Quezon City to Hacienda Luisita.

Like the rest of the expressways, motorists will have to pay a toll fee.  However, the Aquino family will be exempt from the tolls — for life.

Malacañang told The Adobo Chronicles  that the original plan was to name the new expressway the ‘NoyNoy Aquino Expressway (NAEx), but that would elicit a lot of criticism from the president’s political opponents.

Instead, the toll booth numbers at the entrance to HLEx will be designated N1, N2, N3, etc., with the ‘N’ standing for ‘NoyNoy.’

The HLEx is, by far, the greatest legacy of the Aquino administration.