Mega subway planned as part of ‘Dutertenomics’ infrastructure programme

subway
The subway, set to be built with assistance from Japan, will be country’s first

The Philippines will have its first subway system from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to the airport in Pasay City by 2024, it has been announced.

The “Mega Manila Subway” project is part of a new economic programme called “Dutertenomics” which was launched yesterday (Tuesday, April 18) under the banner of “Build, Build, Build”.

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Speaking at the launch, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said that the subway would harness “Japanese tunnelling expertise” and would eventually carry up to 350,000 people per day.

The 227 billion peso project will be included in the national budget with additional funding to come from foreign government loans.

He said: “This is a very ambitious project. Give us your trust, give us your confidence. We will build, build, build it. We will complete it.”

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The project is still in its development stage, with a feasibility study ongoing through a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

subway
Once complete, the “mega subway” would substantially reduce journey times in Metro Manila

Mr Tugade also presented other railway projects being pursued as part of an envisaged “Golden Age of Infrastructure”.

The first phase of a 2,000km Mindanao Railway connecting Tagum, Davao Del Norte to Davao City and Digos, Davao Del Sur is expected to be completed by 2022 at a cost of 32 billion pesos.

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The Philippine National Railway (PNR) North Railway connecting Metro Manila to Clark is expected to be completed by 2021. The 100km track is expected to carry 350,000 passengers daily and would take 55 minutes to reach Tutuban from Clark.

It will also support the ambitious plans to develop Clark Airport as an alternative to the NAIA in Manila.

The PNR South Rail connecting Manila to Los Banos and the Bicol region is expected to start by the third quarter of 2018.

The Manila-Laguna line is expected to be completed by 2021, with a projected daily ridership of 330,000 while the Manila-Bicol line is expected to be completed by 2022 and will serve 400,000 commuters daily.

Tugade appealed for the public to get behind the plans. “We are appealing for your trust and prayers as we pursue our battlecry of “Build, Build,Build” in the country,” he said.

Overall, the government is planning to allocate eight trillion pesos to increase infrastructure spending to seven percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) from the current five per cent by the end of the current administration.

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