PBBM TELLS DOTR TO PRIORITIZE METRO MANILA SUBWAY, NORTH-SOUTH COMMUTER RAILWAY PROJECTS

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to push for the implementation of priority transportation projects as part of his legacy before the end of his term in 2028, newly appointed Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon on Friday said.

“We spoke at length about this and gusto niyang (President Marcos) maibsan ang hirap ng mga kababayan natin sa transportasyon, sa lahat ng bagay – healthcare, education, agriculture,” Dizon said during a press briefing in Malacañang.

“Pero iyong transportation araw-araw iyan eh, parang nightmare na uulitin mo every day and the President really feels the pain of our people. And that’s why he said, the first thing he said: ‘All these projects have to be fast-tracked.’”

These priority projects include the Metro Manila Subway, the North-South Commuter Railway, the country’s regional airports, and seaports.

According to Dizon, the President wants the quick completion of the ongoing subway project and the North-South Commuter Rail to decongest Metro Manila and ease the misery of the commuting public.

Dizon said he wishes Filipinos to experience having a world-class subway system similar to those in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Dizon said regional airports and ports must be improved, citing their importance to the country’s tourism, business, and agriculture sectors.

“Importante iyan, mga airports natin sa Palawan, importante iyan. Pero iyan, dapat iyan… our roadmap is to privatize kasi iyon ang pinakamabilis eh,” he said.

“Ang dating mga ports kailangan talagang… lalo—just today, the President wants to expand our port system, especially our agricultural ports. Because one reason why the price of food is so high is because of connectivity, because of transport cost,” Dizon said.