With the mission to be a world-class transportation organization by 2030, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is providing Filipinos with an ecologically friendly transportation system that has connected individuals, islands, families, and communities together for over a century.
The DoTr is known for the successful construction and operation of some of the Philippines’ most renowned projects that have not only better mobilized Filipinos but also boosted the country’s economy and helped advance society.
Recently completed programs and infrastructure, such as the five new stations of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension, the addition of more e-jeeps for the PUV modernization program, and the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway, have greatly improved the mass transport experience.
This year, the Transportation department is once again working to make mass transit more efficient, accessible, and sustainable with projects focusing on all facets of travel including land movement, maritime transportation, and aviation.
One of the department’s biggest undertakings in the past few years has been the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP). The first underground railway system in the Philippines will traverse across eight cities from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The 33-kilometer 17-station subway is expected to reduce travel time from Quezon City to NAIA to just 35 minutes. The latest news on the project indicates that the rail line is on track for partial opening from Valenzuela City to North Avenue in Quezon City by 2028. Additionally, the remaining civil works contract packages for the MMSP are set to be awarded by mid-2025.
Other railway projects that the transportation department is currently working on include the Metro Rail Transit Line-4, which will run from Taytay, Rizal to the EDSA-Ortigas junction, and the Metro Rail Transit Line 7, which will connect Bulacan and Quezon City and reportedly has a nearly 70% progress rate.
Another anticipated initiative of the DoTr, together with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), is the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project, which is slated to begin construction this year. Financed by the Asian Development Bank, the 32.15-kilometer “climate-resilient” bridge will cut travel time in the said provinces from five hours to one hour, and aims to help decongest Metro Manila.
In addition to the BCIB, the DoTr and DPWH are advancing several other ambitious bridge projects such as the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges project, the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Bridge, and the Panguil Bay Bridge in Northern Mindanao. These bridge projects are envisioned to streamline the transportation of goods and people, reduce travel time significantly, and bolster economic activities in the region.
Several expressway projects are also expected to continue construction this year as part of the department’s initiative to boost not only the accessibility toward other parts of Luzon but also eventually connect to the other expressways. These highways include the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway extension project, the Manila-Cavite Expressway and Cavite-Laguna Expressway Link, the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road, and the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway along the C-6 road.
Alongside its efforts to enhance land connectivity, the DoTr is also prioritizing the development of the country’s sea infrastructure to support maritime trade and travel. Among the department’s priority projects is the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), which aims to improve the Cebu Base Port’s cargo handling capacity and reduce logistics costs.
Awarded to Korean firm HJ Shipbuilding and Construction Corp., the P16.9-billion port will be able to accommodate two 2,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) vessels served by four quay cranes and will be supported by a 1,365-meter access road that will connect the new port through a 300-meter offshore bridge. The project is expected to be completed by 2028.
Similarly, the DoTr is working towards building 200 more ports under the Marcos administration’s initiative of improving inter-island travel and trimming logistics costs. These facilities will be situated in some of the farthest islands of the Philippines and would each require between P20 million to P80 million to build.
In addition, the state-run Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has its “Green Port program” that integrates clean and renewable energy sources into multiple ports across the country. Currently, the program is being implemented at ports including Sasa in Davao City, Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Capinpin in Bataan, Catagbacan in Bohol, Siargao in Surigao del Norte, Lavonia in Cagayan, Plaridel in Misamis Occidental, and Balogo in Camarines Norte.
Beyond land and sea transportation, the DoTr is also heavily investing in building additional and modernizing the country’s airports. Last year, the country’s main airport, NAIA, finally kicked off its long-overdue rehabilitation project under its new operator San Miguel’s New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. The modernization program hopes to increase the airport’s capacity from 35 million passengers to 62 million passengers and an uptick in air traffic movement from 40 movements per hour to 48, as well as improve service quality.
Aside from the rehabilitation of NAIA, the Transportation department is also working on expanding the Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA) through a P4.53-billion Public-Private Partnership project which will see the BPIA increase its capacity to almost four million passengers per year by 2030.
Additionally, the development of new airports in Dumaguete and Siargao are also in the works and is expected to create more opportunities for students, for workers, and businesses while helping support tourism and trade.
However, slight reductions in the 2025 budget have raised concerns among some Filipinos, as they could potentially delay the completion of certain key projects. DoTr Secretary Jaime J. Bautista denied these claims in a press briefing in Malacañang on Jan. 7.
“It has a very minor effect,” he said. “The ones that were reduced basically are the loan proceeds but these are foreign-assisted projects. But in spite of that not being included in the budget, we can still avail of the loans, so that we can fund these major projects like the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway.”
The DoTr’s ongoing projects show off its dedication in building a modern, inclusive, and sustainable transportation network for the Philippines spanning land, sea, and air travel. Through these groundbreaking initiatives, the department connects Filipinos for better mobility, transports goods and produce to boost the economy, and transforms the Philippines to improve quality of life. — Jomarc Angelo M. Corpuz
