12 MRT-7 Stations to Open Next Year, Promising Commuter Relief

MANILA, Philippines — Twelve stations of the MRT-7 are set to open next year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Monday, July 27, highlighting the government's focus on mass transport projects as a relief for commuters affected by high fuel prices. In his fifth State of the Nation Address, Marcos stated, "Sa susunod na taon, bubuksan na rin ang 12 istasyon ng MRT-7." (In the following year, the 12 stations of MRT-7 will also be opened.) This marks the introduction of a new line to the MRT system, running from North Avenue to Sacred Heart in Quezon City, after nearly three decades. The line is eventually expected to reach San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The president emphasized that the project would provide significant relief to nearly 1 million passengers daily. He also credited the recently enacted Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way Act, stating it would expedite the resolution of right-of-way issues, thereby removing a major bottleneck in the country's mass transit development program. Furthermore, Marcos mentioned that trains for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) are anticipated to run between Valenzuela and Malolos next year. The Department of Transportation is tasked with completing the railway up to Clark in Pampanga before the end of his administration. Progress in bus rapid transit (BRT) projects was also cited, with the first phase of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit already operational. A BRT project in Ilocos Norte is slated for inauguration next year.