The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced that its Metro Manila Subway Project will soon be green and go. This great news came from a recent committee meeting led by DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade and representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In the said meeting, an update on the project’s feasibility study was presented. The study went over such issues as timelines, alignment, and organizational arrangements. It also took note of the DOTr’s order to have the project finished and fully operational before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2022.
Tugade added that the Metro Manila Subway Project should have anextension all the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, seeing the increased volume of travelers in that area. Of note, the original project plan has 13 subway stations starting from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to FTI in Taguig City, which is projected to cut travel time between the 2 areas to just 31 minutes.
But Tugade didn’t stop there. He also said that a training facility for railway operators must also be put up. As regard, JICA representatives laid out some possible organizational arrangements which, according to them, will ensure that the subway will be built, operated, and maintained by qualified and certified personnel.
Since JICA has a huge part in the project, its representatives in the meeting took the opportunity to present a brief architectural layout of the subway. As stated in the plan, the subway system will have water-stop panels, doors, and high-level entrance for flood prevention. It will also have earthquake detection and a train-stop system similar to that of the subway found in Tokyo.
To further push the Metro Manila Subway Project into reality, a loan agreement is expected to be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, come November this year during the latter’s state visit.
