Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon is wooing local and foreign investors to help the Philippine government build a modern, progressive and comfortable transport system.
Dizon said this initiative is part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision for a commuter-centric transportation model.
During the market sounding activity for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project in Singapore, Dizon said the president wants to give back time to commuters, who endure the daily hardships of commuting.
“The president said: we have to give the Filipino people the public transport that they not only need, but what they deserve. That speaks to where our President’s heart is―that he understands the importance of mobility, the daily commute. He feels our people’s pain on a daily basis,” Dizon said, addressing delegates from Singapore, Japan, France, South Korea and other countries.
With the help of other countries and multilateral partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as InfraAsia, Dizon noted Philippines can also achieve and build a public transportation model similar to other progressive countries.
“Please, help us fulfill the President’s vision,” he said.
“This will change the lives of millions of Filipinos. It will change the way families enjoy their time with each other, their productivity. It will change the daily lives of every Filipino, who wakes up every morning and goes to work, every student who goes to school, every senior citizen who had to endure a dilapidated public transport,” the transport chief said.
To fulfill this vision, the government has tapped the assistance of the private sector by privatizing the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the NSCR project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Targeted to be fully operational by 2032, the rail line’s partial operations from Valenzuela to Malolos, Bulacan is expected in December 2027, while the Malolos to Clark International Airport (CRK) segment is seen to start in October 2028.
The 147-kilometer railway is expected to transport 750,000 passengers daily, cutting travel time for communities in National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna.
