The extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) to Cavite is expected to begin construction early next year, after the government secured an agreement with the Villar family for the donation of their property to make way for the railway.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said in a statement that the Villar family agreed to the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) "three non-negotiable terms" for the donation of parcels of their land.

Lopez said these terms cover the grant of an unconditional permit to enter, the waiver of subrogation against the government, and the cancellation of the mortgage on the property to be donated.

The Villar Group is donating six parcels of land for the LRT-1, including two mortgaged parcels needed for the construction of the Las Piñas station.

The Las Piñas station is part of the second phase of the Cavite extension project, which also includes the Zapote station to be built in Bacoor, Cavite.

The construction of the rail line that would extend the LRT-1 from Parañaque to Cavite has been in limbo for a number of years now due to right of way (ROW) issues.

In particular, the DOTr is still finding a workaround for the C5-Quirino flyover built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which directly obstructs the LRT-1 extension along the Las Piñas segment.

As such, Lopez said sealing an agreement with the Villar family for the donation of their properties would finally clear a major ROW hurdle for the project.

“This agreement will truly benefit commuters above all else, and that is exactly what our priority should be,” he said.

The Villar Group expects the cancellation of the mortgages on the properties to be processed within the next six months. The replacement properties for the two parcels of land have already been identified to facilitate the release of the land to be donated, according to the DOTr.

The agreements covering the land donation, including the memorandum of agreement, ROW acquisition agreement, and deed of donation, are slated to be signed this month.

The DOTr said this would pave the way for the construction of the extension line, which may begin as early as next year.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier asked Lopez to expedite the resolution of issues plaguing the project, especially since it was initially slated for completion in 2028.

So far, only the first phase of the LRT-1 extension has been completed, which added five stations to the railway in 2024. The extension of the railway to Bacoor will bring the total number of stations to 28.

The expanded LRT-1 is expected to accommodate up to 800,000 passengers daily, nearly doubling the current average daily ridership of around 440,000.