President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the country’s public transportation system is in for “better days ahead” as he led the launching of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) of the P488.5 billion Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) in Valenzuela City on Monday.
Mr. Marcos said the event was a “testament to the administration’s commitment to continue the projects initiated by the previous administration… (and) build better and more infrastructure.”
“We will continue to invest and improve on our transportation systems as well as pursue more projects in the years to come so that Filipinos can gain greater access to places of work, commerce, recreation, and other vital areas,” he said.
“Having an effective and efficient transportation system will have multiplier effects on employment, the economy, and our society. It will also bring comfort, convenience, and an easier life for all,” the President added.
Mr. Marcos also expressed his gratitude to the government of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for being the Philippines’ active partners in the subway project.
“They will help us shape our railway infrastructure and keep them at par with the highest international standards,” he said.
“I hope that both you and the DOTr will not waver on your commitments to finish the contract package by the end of 2027 to ensure that Filipinos will get to enjoy the project at the soonest possible time,” Mr. Marcos added.
The Metro Manila subway will have 17 stations connecting Valenzuela City to Pasay City and is expected to serve approximately 519,000 passengers daily once it becomes operational.
“Today’s start of tunneling work signifies the point of no return. We are going full speed ahead to complete the country’s first subway,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
Bautista underscored the value of interconnectivity of the country’s various transport infrastructures and said there is an “urgent need” to provide a railway station at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in the wake of the holiday rush.
“During the recent holiday rush when I inspected NAIA Terminal 3, I discovered the urgent need of providing a railway station as one of the multi-modal land-based transport options for arriving passengers,” he said.
The MMSP’s Contract Package 101 (CP101) is part of the seven civil work contracts of the project and involves the construction of three underground stations in Quezon City and an additional semi-underground station in the northern-most part of the Valenzuela City depot.
Six units of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be utilized for CP101 to complete the excavation for the tunnels and will use a top-down construction method for the construction of the stations.
Billed as the country’s “crown jewel” of mass transit system, the Metro Manila Subway will cut across eight cities that will stretch from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City with a spur line to NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The country’s first underground railway system aims to cut travel time between Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City from the present one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes.
