Metro Manila’s first-ever subway project is expected to start its implementation as early as the third quarter of 2018, the Budget Department said Wednesday.
In a news briefing, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that feasibility studies for the 25.3-kilometer subway, connecting Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City is already being finalized and will start construction at the soonest time possible.
“The DOTr is expected to commence the project implementation of the Metro Manila subway project Phase 1 as early as third quarter of 2018,” said Diokno in the bi-monthly ‘Breakfast with Ben’ forum in Manila.
“The way we will do this is through design-and-build as these are among the few projects which will be not completed under Duterte’s term because it takes about several years. But at least we can look forward to having a subway,” he added.
Financed through a Japanese Official Development Assistance, the P355.6-billion MMSP- Phase 1 will comprise 13 stations, including a station in Naia, expected to cut commuting time by 31 minutes.
The subway is expected to accommodate around 370,000 passengers on its first year of operations.
Diokno said that the subway is expected to start partial operations by the 4th quarter of 2025, while its target completion would be on 2027.
The subway project, among the key highlights of the administration’s ambitious “Build Build Build” program, includes 31 roads and bridges, 12 rail and urban transport, six air transport, four water transport, four flood management projects, 11 water supply and irrigation, four power projects, and three other public infrastructure projects.
Under Republic Act No. 10964 or the 2018 General Appropriations Act, the budget of the main agencies handling infrastructure projects, DPWH and DOTr, have accordingly increased by 40.3 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively.