Dizon: ROW issues stall Metro Manila subway project

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is no longer setting a timeline on when the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) will be completed until such time that challenges on right of way (ROW) are sorted out.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon yesterday received his first briefing with project managers of the subway, and was unsatisfied with the answers given to him regarding progress.

He then directed the project managers of the MMSP to come up with a new schedule outlining when the railway can be opened partially and completed in its entirety.

“I cannot give you timelines yet. I saw timelines earlier that I’m not satisfied with, so I asked the team to look at possible changes to the timeline so we can finish this sooner,” Dizon said.

Under the previous leadership, the DOTr was planning to partially operate the MMSP, from East Valenzuela to North Avenue, before President Marcos ends his term in 2028. Full operations of the subway were supposed to follow in 2029.

However, sources within the DOTr said these targets are now difficult to attain, as the agency is hit with a legal opinion favoring Republic Act 10752, or the ROW Act, over financing contracts.

The ROW Act prohibits paying informal settlers who would be displaced by projects pursued by the government, but it requires moving them to a relocation site with basic facilities and services.

On the contrary, MMSP’s financier Japan mandates compensating every individual affected by a project, including informal settlers.

In spite of this, Dizon said the DOTr would push for the acceleration of the subway, starting with the resolution of ROW issues. He believes the MMSP is the most challenging project undertaken by the government, and as such requires more from every agency involved.

“This subway plan cannot be stopped. This is going to go through, we are committed to finishing this project,” Dizon said.

The MMSP, the first underground rail in the Philippines, will extend for 33 kilometers in Metro Manila, and is considered as one of the most important projects to improve public transport.

The subway, once completed, will cut the travel time from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to only 35 minutes, from 1.5 hours currently.