More commuters traversing Quezon City up north and Parañaque City down south will enjoy shorter travel time, thanks to the first phase of the Light Rail Transit-Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite extension, according to the Philippine office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In a statement, JICA Philippines said that with the operations of LRT-1's five new stations in full swing on Saturday, Nov. 16, commuters should expect road traffic congestion in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces to ease.
READ: Mapping the Route: Locating five new LRT-1 Cavite extension stations
On top of the existing LRT-1 stations starting at Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) station in Quezon City, an additional 6.5 kilometers (kms) of railway were added beyond Baclaran station in Pasay City.
The five Parañaque stations are Redemptorist-Aseana, MIA Road, PITX (Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange), Ninoy Aquino Avenue, and Dr. Santos.
"With the added section of Cavite extension phase one, LRT-1 will provide passengers a safe, reliable, and comfortable riding experience. They will also enjoy the benefit from connection with intermodal transport hubs at PITX and Dr. Santos stations, which enable dramatically convenient access to other public transportation such as buses, jeepneys and taxis, as well as parking space for private cars and motorcycles," JICA Philippines said.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself last Friday, Nov. 15, inaugurated what JICA Philippines noted was the first railway line opened partially during this current administration.
This is a public-private partnership (PPP) project between the Philippine government and Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), which was rolled out via a "soft" or low-interest loan extended by JICA, the Japanese aid agency noted.
In particular, JICA financed the purchase of 30 train sets, the expansion of LRT-1's Baclaran depot, as well as building a new satellite depot at Zapote in Cavite province.
Also, JICA this year bought LRMC shares in what it described as a "strategic direct investment" together with two Japanese partners—railway operator Hankyu Corp. and trading giant Sumitomo Corp.
"This partnership with the Japanese companies and LRMC is expected not only to further improve the ride quality of the train services but also strengthen the connectivity between LRT-1 and other transportation modes around the stations in collaboration with the local government Units (LGUs) along the railway alignment," JICA Philippines added.
For LRT-1 Cavite extension's second and third phases, another six kms of railway shall be added, with three more stations of which two will be in Las Piñas City, and the last one in Bacoor City, Cavite.
The entire stretch of LRT-1 between Quezon City and its Cavite extension will serve up to 800,000 passengers daily.
LRT-1's Cavite extension, when finished, would be the source of 300,000 additional commuters.
"JICA expresses its 100-percent support and commits to pursue safe and reliable railway network, urban mobility modernization, modal shift, and livable urban development, with extensive experience and know-how of Japan's railway operation," JICA Philippines chief representative Takema Sakamoto told Friday's inauguration ceremony.
"JICA and partners envisage very impactful achievements in various areas, such as clean air, climate change, investment environment, job generation, and regional development," he said.
JICA is supporting railway development in the Philippines, as its 2017 estimates had shown that traffic congestion in Metro Manila cost the economy at least P3.5 billion in lost opportunities everyday.