The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is securing right-of-way (ROW) after securing the acquisition to keep the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project ultimate completion.

DOTr Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon, in his presentation during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines Infrastructure Forum in Makati City, expressed confidence that “before PBBM (President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.) steps down, I think we will be able to see at least two maybe three stations… we can seen the trains running.”

“Hopefully [up to] North Avenue,” Dizon said.

“Right now, we’ve addressed three out of five for major right-of-way issues, [namely]— Barilla, Anonas, Ortigas,” Dizon said.

He expressed optimism the MMSP will be partially operational at least from Valenzuela —where the depot will be located— to Quirino Highway stations.

“Metrowalk na lang… BGC (Bonifacio Global City), it’s almost there tingin ko malapit na ‘yun. Hopefully in the next few months we will be able to address,” he said, adding that once ROW issues are resolved “we can see the progress there.”

“One good development here is the amended Right-of-Way Act passed by both houses. The bicam report was signed last Wednesday, the last day of the 19th Congress. The President will sign this very soon,” Dizon said,

“That will be a game-changer, especially in the subterranean right-of-way,” he said.

Dizon said, once the measure becomes a law, the government can access privately owned land at 18 meters below ground for subterranean or underground infrastructure projects from the current 50 meters.

Upon completion, the MMSP will have a total of 17 stations and a 30.34-hectare depot where the Philippine Railway Institute is located.

The project involves the construction of a 33-kilometer railway line that will connect Valenzuela City to Pasay City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

The MMSP’s 17 stations are: Valenzuela where the depot will be located, Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, Katipunan (Camp Aguinaldo), Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Kalayaan Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Lawton East, Senate-DepEd, NAIA Terminal 3, FTI, and Bicutan.

The MMSP is envisioned to be interconnected with other rail systems: the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), and the Metro Rail Transit-Line 7 (MRT7) through the Common Station; the Light Rail Transit-Line 2 (LRT2) at the Anonas Station; and a physical run through into the North-South Commuter Railway Extension (NSCR-Ex) at the FTI and Bicutan Stations.

The project currently has an estimated total cost of P488.5 billion, of which P370.7 billion will be financed through an official development assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Meanwhile, P117.7 billion will be covered by the Philippine government.

The Philippine government and JICA have so far signed three tranches of loan agreements—the first tranche amounting to ¥104.53 billion, or P47.58 billion, was signed in March 2018; the second tranche, amounting to ¥253.31 billion, or P112.87 billion, was inked in February 2022; and the third ¥150-billion or P55.37 billion loan deal for the project was signed in March 2024.

Earlier, the previous DOTr leadership projected that the MMSP will be partially operational by 2028 and will be fully operational a year after, but Dizon said full completion of the project was stretched further to 2032.