The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has decided to proceed with the long-delayed Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) despite the recent withdrawal of financial commitment from China.
Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the government is determined to pursue the first phase of the MRP, as it seeks alternative funding sources.
He said the agency is actively coordinating with the Department of Finance to secure Official Development Assistance (ODA) packages from foreign governments and international financial institutions.
Bautista assured that the project is not being abandoned, highlighting the ongoing land acquisitions along the targeted alignment and the identification of resettlement sites for displaced residents.
“We decided to pursue Phase 1 of the MRP despite withdrawal of prior funding commitment from the government of China. While looking for funding sources, various pre-construction activities show we are not dropping the project,” Bautista said.
Phase 1 of the MRP is known as the Tagum-Davao-Digos (MRP-TDD) segment, which is expected to reduce travel time from Tagum City, Davao del Norte to Digos City, Davao del Sur from 3.5 hours to 1.3 hours.
The previous administration initially planned to have this commercially operational in 2022.
According to documents from the DOTr, the eight-station rail segment will be built with a single track, with provisions for future tracks and electrification. It will have six five-car passenger trains with three spare cars, four locomotives and 15 freight cars.
This particular segment costs P81.6 billion.
So far, land acquisitions are already ongoing along the target alignment from Tagum to Digos via Davao City. Resettlement sites for displaced residents have also been identified with villages in different stages of construction.
“In fact, the Tagum Train Village is scheduled for turnover to its future residents in the coming months. Livelihood programs are also being prepared for affected families,” the transport chief said.
Once operational, the 100.2-kilometer line will serve about 122,000 passengers daily.
Bautista said the MRP Phase 1 Tagum-Davao-Digos line “will concretize the master rail plan of connecting the entire island of Mindanao.”
The MRP is envisioned to be a 1,544-kilometer rail system that will connect key provinces, such as Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao and Malaybalay.
In 2022, due to a financial tussle between Manila and Beijing, China withdrew the funding for three massive railway projects, namely: the MRP, the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Bicol Project, and Subic-Clark Railway Project.
Image credits: Department of Transportation