The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will continue with the P488-billion Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), one of the Philippines’ largest infrastructure projects, beyond the current administration, Secretary Arthur Tugade announced Monday, May 30, kickoff of the Duterte Legacy Summit.
There is no stopping the building of the country’s first-ever underground mass transport system, he assured.

First of all, "The funds are in place, through the efforts of the Department of Finance with the government of Japan and JICA. In other words, we have no problem with funds. The fund is there," he underscored.
Secondly, "Most of the contracts involved in the construction of the subway are already awarded. In fact, many have started. These can't be stopped."
Thirdly, "The right-of-way has been arranged and settled. So how can the subway be stopped?" Tugade reasoned.
The MMSP, dubbed as ‘Project of the Century’ will stretch across more than 33 kilometers and will reduce travel time between Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes.
Once operational, the massive rail line can serve up to 370,000 passengers per day in its first year of operations.
The DOTr targets to partially open the subway by 2025, with full operations slated by 2027.
The pandemic has set back the opening of the subway by three years.
Originally, target start date for partial operations for the subway's first three stations from Valenzuela – Mindanao Avenue Station, Tandang Sora Station, and North Avenue Station, was February, 2022, with the entire rail line scheduled to be fully operational by 2025.
Before the pandemic, the DOTr even wanted to fast-track the project so the subway can be partially operational by December, 2021.
The project was 30 percent complete, as of March, 2022.