Marcos Inspects Metro Manila Subway Project, Progress Reaches 60%

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos yesterday lauded the progress on the Metro Manila subway project as he inspected its Quezon Avenue station in Quezon City, where the first tunnel boring machine under contract package 102 broke through. Marcos said the location of the subway station would provide residents with more transportation options. “We are seeing the gradual completion of the subway project. Once it is completed, people living here will be fortunate. They will have a subway, they will have an MRT,” he said. The breakthrough of the tunnel boring machine marked the completion of a major segment of the subway’s underground structure. The subway project, which consists of 17 stations, is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency with counterpart funds from the Philippine government. The project, which has a total cost of P488.48 billion, has an overall progress of around 60 percent. It is projected to serve 520,000 passengers daily once it becomes fully operational in 2032. The subway is expected to cut travel time between Valenzuela City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport from one hour and 30 minutes to 41 minutes. The project is seen as a significant step towards alleviating Metro Manila's notorious traffic congestion and represents a key example of economic cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.