The Department of Transportation said it is on track to start the partial operations of the Metro Manila Subway Project by the fourth quarter of 2021 despite the delays in the construction because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a virtual briefing with the House committee on economic affairs the construction activities for Metro Manila Subway were delayed by three months amid the pandemic.
“But we are catching up. We are trying to be able to… The subway, we are keeping the schedule. We intend to have partial operability last quarter of next year,” he said.
The DOTr began with the clearing works and fencing activities in parts of Valenzuela City and Quezon City in December 2019. This represents the partial operability section of the P355-billion project.
The section of the subway includes the first stations in Valenzuela City and Quezon City, the line’s depot in Valenzuela and buildings for the Philippine Railway Institute, the country’s first railway training center.
Dubbed as the “Project of the Century,” the underground rail line is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations and is scheduled to be partially operational by 2021.
Once completed and fully operational, the project will have 15 stations, including a terminal at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
It will be financed via official development assistance from Japan, with an interest of 0.10 percent per annum, payable in 40 years, inclusive of a grace period of 12 years.
Japan International Cooperation Agency already signed a loan agreement with the Philippine government to provide a loan of up to 104.53 billion yen for the first phase of the project.