Manila Subway Construction Breaks Ground
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) officially broke ground on Wednesday to start the construction of the Metro Manila Subway, the country’s first underground railway system.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea led the groundbreaking ceremony. Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade were also present. The event was held in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City.
Tugade gave his assurance that the government would monitor the project and ensure its completion by 2022.
The subway project will be funded by an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It is also one of the flagship projects under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
Specific goals to look forward to
The subway project is an expansive 36-kilometer railway system. It will consist of 15 stations. Coverage will stretch from Quirino Highway in Quezon City to NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay and FTI in Taguig.
The first three stations to be constructed include the Quirino Highway-Mindanao Avenue Station, Tandang Sora Station, and North Avenue Station.
According to the DOTr, the subway system is expected to run at a speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour. This would lessen travel time from Quezon City to NAIA Terminal 3 to only 30 minutes.
Approximately 370,000 commuters will benefit from the subway daily in its first year of full operations.
The DOTr aims to achieve partial operability by 2022 and full operations in 2025.
Relocation
Meanwhile, the Informal Settler Families (ISFs) that will be affected by the construction of the Metro Manila Subway will be relocated to Disiplina Village II, Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City.
The DOTr, in cooperation with the National Housing Authority (NHA), Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), and the City Government of Valenzuela, presented certificates of entitlement to 20 of the 183 beneficiary families of the relocation. The remaining 163 ISFs are still undergoing pre-qualification process.
