THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) decided to push back the groundbreaking of the Metro Manila Subway after its Japanese counterparts sought for the deferment of the date due to their “availability.”
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said his group initially aimed a December 2018 groundbreaking for the multibillion-peso project, but is now aiming to break ground for the subway deal in the first quarter of 2019.
“We wanted the groundbreaking for December 19, but there was an issue on the availability of the people to break ground, as they will be coming from Japan. They asked if we can do it mid-January,” Tugade said in a recent interview.
The Philippines and Japan signed a P51.3-billion official development assistance (ODA) package for the project’s first phase in March.
It involves the construction of 25 kilometers of rail that will connect Quezon City in the northern part of Metro Manila to Parañaque in the southern part. The underground mass-transportation system will connect major business districts and government centers.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is now studying the possibility of extending the first phase of the subway project to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), as requested by the Philippine government.
It is expected to serve around 370,000 passengers per day in its opening year, around 2025.
Tugade added that the boring machine that will be used for the underground drilling would be delivered “by April.”