THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting to complete 95 percent of right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) by end-2025, and to secure the remaining parcels by the second quarter of 2026.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency has so far acquired around 75 percent of the ROW covering both underground alignments and station sites.
“Based on the chart by our right-of-way people, there’s really a big possibility we could hit 95 percent by end of the year. And by the second quarter of next year, 100 percent na natin [we would hit 100 percent],” Lopez told reporters in an ambush interview at the DOTr’s turnover ceremony.
He noted that the balance consists of small but critical lots, including areas around Metro Walk and sections under Contract Package 105.
Lopez added the remaining civil works packages—CP105, CP108, and CP109—are already under contract negotiations with prospective builders.
These cover the Bonifacio Global City and Kalayaan stations (CP105), Lawton and Senate–DepEd stations (CP108), and the Naia Terminal 3 spur line and station (CP109).
“They are already in contract negotiations. I think we can award it hopefully sometime by October or November. Because the process there is, you still have to send it to JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] for their concurrence. So there’s a bureaucratic process to observe,” he said, partly in Filipino.
The transportation chief expressed optimism that groundbreaking for these packages can be held within the year.
“Hopefully we can groundbreak it by November. Once awarded, once there’s a contract, a notice to proceed, I think there’s no reason not to groundbreak,” he said.
The P488.5-billion subway has faced repeated delays due to ROW bottlenecks and procurement challenges brought about by the pandemic. Nonetheless, it aims to complete the whole line by 2032 with as many as three stations—Valenzuela, Quirino, and North Avenue—hoped to be ready for partial operations by 2028.
The subway, spanning 33 kilometers from Valenzuela to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and FTI, is backed by Japanese financing and implemented through multiple contract packages.
Once completed, it is envisioned to cut travel time between Quezon City and Taguig to about 35 minutes and serve over half a million passengers daily.
