ILOILO CITY — The revival of the railway system on Panay Island is part of the key projects that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to pursue.
“Beyond the NCR (National Capital Region), larger-scale railway systems like the 102-kilometer Mindanao Railways Project, the Panay Railway project, and the Cebu railway system will be integrated as a vital part of our transport and communications systems,” said Marcos in his first State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) Monday, July 25.
This was the first time the President mentioned the revival of the Panay railway.
During the presidential campaign, he mentioned several times he will be giving priority to the proposed trans-link bridges that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros.
The railway was built during the American colonial period. The train route was between Iloilo City and Roxas City, Capiz. But it stopped operating in 1985.
The proposal to revive the Panay railway has been going on for almost two decades. The proposed railway will extend to Malay, Aklan, where world-famous Boracay Island is located.
Panay Railways Inc., the State-owned company that used to operate the trains, still exists to this day.