Government officials broke ground on the Metro Manila subway on Wednesday, February 27.
The Metro Manila subway is the country’s first-ever underground rail system that will be built under the multi-trillion infrastructure project of the government, reported ABS-CBN News.
Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade said that he will make sure that the rail system will be finished in 3 years.
“Inaugurating and groundbreaking is one thing, finishing it is another. We will finish this in 2022. Sabi nga sa Ingles, I will be watching you… This is what we want to achieve. Sa mga nagdududa, maniwala kayo,” Tugade was quoted as saying.
The multi-million subway project is envisioned to become a 36-kilometer underground mass transport system starting at Valenzuela and ending at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
It will link major business districts and government centers and is expected to serve more than 300,000 passengers daily.
The government earlier said that the first three stations, Mindanao Avenue-Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue, are set to open in 2022.
The first phase of the subway system will traverse Quezon City to Taguig City with 13 stations. The subway’s proposed stops are: Mindanao Avenue, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, Katipunan, Ortigas North, Ortigas South, Kalayaan, Bonifacio Global City, Cayetano Boulevard, Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier said that they are making arrangements with one of the biggest Japan-based construction companies, Shimizu Corp., to improve the country’s public transportation.
DOTr said that they talked with representatives from Shimuzu Corp., as well as Japan International Cooperation Agency, which will fund most of the subway system planned to be built in Metro Manila.
