As the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) rolls out, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. appealed to the public to be patient over the inconvenience its construction would bring. President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and ADB Philippines Country Director Kelly Bird witness the ceremonial contract signing of the North-South Commuter Railway Project - South Commuter Packages (CPS) S-02 and S-03B on April 27, 2023 in Malacañang (Photo courtesy of KJ Rosales/PPA Pool)

Marcos witnessed the ceremonial contract signing between the Department of Transportation and winning bidders for the NSCR Project-South Commuter Section contract packages S-02 and S-03B in Malacañang on Thursday, April 27. "To our beloved citizens: you remain at the core of all these pursuits.  We are aware of the struggles you encounter daily, and strive hard to address them," Marcos said in his speech. "As a consequence, there will be unavoidable disruptions and inconvenience occasioned by the project’s construction.  So, we ask for your continued patience, your understanding, and set our sights instead on the glory of its accomplishment in a few years’ time," he added. The President said with the signing of the contracts, the third phase of the NSCR system—the South Commuter Section or the South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP)—will soon start. The contract packages constitute some 14-kilometer stretch of the SCRP, running through Metro Manila, both above and below its surface. Totaling 55.6 kilometers, the SCRP will connect Manila to Laguna, rounding out the southern leg of the NSCR system. "In a larger context, this is also an extremely exciting prospect, because it means that all phases of the NSCR system are now officially in full swing," Marcos said. The railway system has a total length of 147.26 kilometers. Marcos said it will be a "massive boost to our overall transportation infrastructure," benefiting up to 800,000 passengers per day. The construction of the contract packages, on the other hand, is expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs. "Most importantly, the completion of the full NSCR line will bring greater convenience for our commuters.  It will offer an efficient and comfortable transport alternative that spans the great distance, connecting Pampanga to Manila and then to Laguna," Marcos said. "As a consequence, we expect not only decongestion along our main thoroughfares, especially within Metro Manila, but also faster travel times for commuters in general," Marcos added. Once fully operational in 2029, it will cater to around 800,000 passengers daily and reduce travel time from Clark Airport in Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna in less than two hours. In his speech, Marcos also acknowledged the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for being the country’s active and consistent partners in infrastructure development for many years now. He also recognized partner contractors: Acciona- DMCI Joint Venture and the Leighton-First Balfour Joint Venture. The chief executive also committed that the government "will be diligent in finishing this project with excellence, with honesty, and with the proper urgency."