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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider DOTr to kick off feasibility study for ₱199-billion Cebu subway

DOTr to kick off feasibility study for ₱199-billion Cebu subway

Published Feb 20, 2026 07:52 pm
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to put out to procurement the feasibility study for a 67.5-kilometer subway project in Cebu next month, as it looks to begin a 14-year-long journey to ease congestion in the province’s urban centers.
During a forum in Cebu City, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the DOTr is now gearing up to begin the process to award the study for the Metro Cebu Urban Mass Rapid Transit (UMRT).
Lopez said the DOTr has partnered with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to find the most suitable company to initiate the study, which is scheduled to start in October.
“Hopefully we can start the feasibility study by October 2026. Once we do the feasibility study, we will start coordinating with the local government,” he said.
Under the DOTr’s initial study, the underground railway system will span 67.5 kilometers, connecting the cities of between Danao in the north and Carcar in the south.
The UMRT covers a 25-kilometer spur line that would connect the railway to Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Lapu-Lapu City.
Based on Lopez’s presentation, the UMRT is estimated to cost around ₱199 billion, which will be funded by official development assistance (ODA).
The target completion date for the project is 2040, 14 years from now.
The subway project is part of the Metro Cebu Urban Transport Master Plan (MCUTMP), issued in 2019 and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Under MCUTMP, UMRT's planned start of operations will be limited to the Metro Cebu area in 2030, with the rail line’s full extension scheduled for 2040.
Also included in the transport plan is the long-delayed Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT), whose Package 1 is set for inauguration next month.
The first package of the CBRT spans a 2.38-kilometer bus lane that covers the stations of Cebu South Bus Terminal, Cebu Normal University (CNU) Station, and Fuente.
“Once Package 1 becomes operational, 34,000 daily passengers will benefit, so the BRT will bring significant benefits to Cebu,” said Lopez.
Lopez said the UMRT and CBRT are two of some of the DOTr’s major projects in Cebu, which include the construction of New Cebu International Container Port and San Fernando Port, and bike lanes, among others.
“The DOTr is not only for Metro Manila—it is equally important to connect provinces and regions. You can count on the DOTr to make that happen,” he said.
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