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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Villafuerte upbeat as Marcos admin sets sights on stalled Bicol railway project

Villafuerte upbeat as Marcos admin sets sights on stalled Bicol railway project

Published Jul 15, 2023 05:30 am
Map of Bicol (Google maps)



Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte is upbeat over President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s decision to put the stalled Bicol railway project back on track. “We Bicolanos certainly welcome the government’s decision to put back on the negotiating table the overseas funding component of the PNR (Philippine National Railways) Bicol project," Villafuerte said in a statement Saturday, July 15. “This planned railway project will certainly give a big boost to the economy and tourism in our region, create more jobs and encourage more Bicolanos to stay put in Bicol instead of migrating to the national capital or other urban centers in search of jobs or livelihood opportunities,” he said. Villafuerte is a former three-term governor of Camarines Sur, one of the six provinces in the Bicol region in Southern Luzon. The other five provinces are Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Catanduanes. Villafuerte said the foreigner-funded Bicol railway project was among the big ticket projects of "Build, Build, Build" during the previous administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. However, it was put on hold just before Duterte left office following the failure of the Philippines and China to reach agreement on the proposed ODA (official development assistance) loan for the project. Villafuerte has noted that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has sustained the infrastructure build-up plan of his predecessor through the latter's own “Build Better More” program. The Bicol Railway project is a 639-kilometer (km) railway that will connect Metro Manila to Bicol. It will cut travel time between the two regions from the current 12 hours to just four hours. Villafuerte said the proposed railway originally had a price tag of $2.4 billion. It will span 35 stations from Manila to Sorsogon. He noted that President Marcos had reassured the public a week ago that his government has been “working hard to improve the country’s transportation systems, operations, and management for the benefit of present and future generations".

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Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. PNR Bicol railway project Rep. LRay Villafuerte PNR Bicol
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