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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Resolution of Metro Manila subway right-of-way issues nearly complete, says DOTr

Resolution of Metro Manila subway right-of-way issues nearly complete, says DOTr

Published Sep 3, 2025 02:13 pm
DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)
DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)
Right-of-way (ROW) issues plaguing the construction of the long-delayed Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) will be close to completion before the year ends, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Newly minted DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency has already completed 75 percent of ROW acquisition for MMSP, including subterranean land and stations.
The DOTr is targeting to reach 95 percent of ROW by the end of the year, with a plan to hit 100 percent set for the second quarter of 2026.
Under the term of former secretary Vince Dizon, who is now heading the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the DOTr has made progress in addressing ROW issues.
Before Dizon’s appointment, the DOTr faced challenges in acquiring ROW where gated villages are located, such as in Cubao, Katipunan, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Ortigas.
The DOTr has since resolved these issues, with only a few segments of the 33-kilometer (km) railway still requiring attention.
In fact, on Wednesday morning, Sept. 3, the DOTr signaled the beginning of the construction of Ortigas Station in Pasig City following the demolition of existing structures.
Lopez said the station will be completed within three years and will become operational after an additional two years.
To further fast-track MMSP, the Acting Secretary said the DOTr is aiming to award the three remaining contract packages (CP) within the year.
The unawarded contracts for MMSP are CPs 105, 108, and 109, which are estimated to cost as much as ₱15 billion each.
CP 105 covers the stations in Kalayaan Avenue and BGC; CP 108 involves the Lawton and Senate-DepEd stations; while CP 109 encompasses the station at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
“They’re already in contract negotiations, and I think we can award it around October or November,” Lopez said in a chance interview.
He is optimistic that these stations will have their respective groundbreaking within the year.
Spanning 17 stations from Valenzuela City to Parañaque City, MMSP is expected to serve over 300,000 passengers.
In a related development, Lopez said he is scheduled to travel to Japan to conduct a market sounding activity for the operations and maintenance (O&M) project of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system to prospective investors.
This comes after the DOTr’s visit to Paris, France, which reportedly garnered strong interest among foreign railway operators.
Lopez said the O&M project of NSCR will likely be up for bidding in the first week of October, a month after its initial September bid date.
“Our view is that we should delay it a bit to allow more participants. Rather than forcing the schedule and ending up with only a few bidders, we might as well get the best offer possible,” he told reporters.
Lopez said he is expecting offers from both local and international firms.
The Economy and Development Council (ED) Council, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., earlier gave its approval for the O&M project of NSCR under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The estimated total cost of the O&M contract is ₱229.32 billion.
The 35-station NSCR aims to ease travel across Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Calabarzon.
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