President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has expressed his intention to pursue "grander" infrastructure initiatives in the country under his watch.
Speaking before the groundbreaking ceremony of the Metro Manila Subway in Pasig City on Monday, Oct. 3, Marcos mentioned pursuing and implementing projects under its Build Better More Infrastructure Agenda laid out recently.
“Let the breaking ground of this subway system signal our intention to the world to pursue even grander dreams and more ambitious endeavors that will bring comfort and progress to our people all over the country,” he said.
“Be assured that this administration will take the lead in identifying, pursuing, and implementing projects as part of the Build Better More Infrastructure Agenda that we have laid out," he added.
The President is optimistic that the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), once completed, will yield fruitful results both for commuters and the country's economy.
The project is expected to benefit about 150,000 passengers a day by 2028.
It is part of the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) Phase 1—the first subway project in the Philippines.
Once operational, the MMSP Phase 1 will reduce travel time between Quezon City and the Manila Airport from one hour and 30 minutes to 35 minutes.
The foreign-assisted project is being constructed under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Metro Manila Subway Contract Package 104 will be constructed through a joint venture between Tokyu Construction Co. Ltd., Tobishima Corp., and Megawide Construction Corp.
According to Marcos, these companies have vast expertise and experience in railroad, tunnel, and terminal construction and have completed various projects around the world.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to partially commence the subway's operations in 2025.