DOTr targets full subway ROW delivery by 2026

The Metro Manila Subway (MMSP) is on track to clear a major hurdle, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) targeting to secure nearly all of the land needed for the project by the end of the year and full right-of-way (ROW) acquisition targeted by mid-2026.

“For the subway project, as of today, 75 percent of the entire subway ROW is already secured. Then, based on the chart by our ROW people, there's a big possibility we could hit 95 percent by the end of the year. 

By the second quarter of next year, we will secure 100 percent,” Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez told reporters in a spot interview after a ceremonial turnover of leadership on Wednesday.

Lopez noted that the remaining 5 percent consists of small parcels, including areas near Metro Walk and a section at Station 105.

The DOTr is set to award contracts for the remaining subway segments—105, 108, and 109—which are still under negotiation.

Groundbreaking for these sections is expected later this year once the contracts are finalized and notices to proceed are issued. Contractors for the smaller segments are also being finalized.

“I think we can award it sometime, hopefully in October or November. The process requires that we still submit it to Japan International Cooperation Agency for their concurrence, so there are just some bureaucratic steps to observe,” Lopez said.

“Hopefully, we can start groundbreaking by November. Once the contracts are awarded and the notice to proceed is issued, I see no reason why we shouldn’t begin,” he added.

The MMSP, the country’s first underground train line, is not expected to be fully operational during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, with full completion targeted for 2032. 

However, the DOTr earlier said it plans to finish at least three stations by 2028, starting with Valenzuela, Quirino, and potentially North Avenue. The Ortigas Station remains a major ROW hurdle and is not expected to be completed by 2028.

The 33-kilometer subway will run from Valenzuela City to Pasay City, including a spur to NAIA Terminal 3. It will feature 17 stations and a 30.34-hectare depot in Valenzuela, which will also house the Philippine Railway Institute.