The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has expedited land acquisition for two multibillion-peso rail projects, reaching 90.76 percent right-of-way for the Metro Manila Subway as of December 2025.
The progress marks a substantial increase from February 2025, when subway land acquisition stood at 51 percent.
DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Friday 2025 served as a banner year for the agency as it worked to meet directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fast-track infrastructure development for the benefit of thousands of commuters.
Parallel gains were recorded for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system, where 56 percent of the northern segment is now cleared for construction.
Under the leadership of former Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Lopez, the number of acquired properties for the NSCR north segment jumped to 1,143 by year-end, up from just 38 parcels in February 2025.
To break long-standing bottlenecks, the agency addressed disputes involving major properties such as White Plains, Corinthian Gardens and Metrowalk.
DOTr assistant secretary for ROWSA IC Calaguas oversaw the expansion of the right-of-way workforce from 200 to 900 personnel to handle the increased technical and legal workload.
The DOTr expects to complete all land acquisition for the northern segment of the NSCR by mid-2026.
For the southern portion of the project, authorities have already cleared land for the Banlic depot and 3 out of 19 stations, specifically EDSA, Cabuyao and Sta. Rosa.
The 147-kilometer NSCR will link Clark International Airport to Calamba, cutting travel time from four hours to less than 2.5 hours.
Meanwhile, the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway will connect Valenzuela City to Parañaque City, reducing the commute between Quezon City and the main international airport to 35 minutes from the current 70 minutes.
