Villar Family Offers Land for LRT-1 Cavite Extension to Resolve ROW Issues

The Villar family has expressed their intent to donate their land to resolve right-of-way (ROW) issues that have been hounding the Las Piñas alignment of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension project, according to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez. "As a matter of fact, they [Villars] want their property, they want to donate their property… as part of the extension," Lopez said in a radio interview. This development comes amid reports that the Office of the Ombudsman is investigating allegations that Senators Mark and Camille Villar are interfering in the alignment of the LRT-1 extension project. The Villar siblings have denied the allegations and stated they welcome any investigation. Last month, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. directed Lopez to immediately resolve the ROW hurdles of the LRT-1 extension all the way to Cavite. The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has committed that the entire stretch of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension project will be completed before the end of the Marcos administration's term in 2028. The Phase 1 of the extension project is already commercially operational, connecting Baclaran Station in Pasay City to Dr. Santos Station in Parañaque City through five stations: Redemptorist-ASEANA Station, MIA Road Station, PITX Station, Ninoy Aquino Avenue Station, and Dr. Santos Station. The Cavite leg, comprising Phase 2 and 3, includes three pending stations yet to be constructed: Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog. To fast-track the project's completion, Lopez mentioned a proposal to dismantle the C-5 Quirino flyover. However, he also suggested that the flyover might "co-exist" with the LRT 1 extension without the need for dismantling. The LRT-1 Cavite Extension project is financed through a hybrid scheme involving the national government, official development assistance from Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the private operator, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC). The P64.9-billion project was awarded to LRMC in September 2014 and taken over by the private partner in September 2015. Under the agreement, LRMC will manage the LRT-1 for 32 years and extend the line by 11.7 kilometers to 32.4 km from its current 20.7 km.