Major Rail Project nears Final Contract Awards ahead of 2029 Completion

The government’s ambitious Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) is moving closer to full implementation, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirming that the final three contracts worth billions are expected to be awarded by October or November 2025.

Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said negotiations are ongoing for Contract Packages (CP) 105, 108, and 109, which cover critical segments of the 33-kilometer rail line. CP 105 will build the Kalayaan and Bonifacio Global City stations alongside tunnel works, while CP 108 covers the Lawton and Senate-Department of Education stations. CP 109 will include the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 station and connecting tunnels.

The subway dubbed the “project of the century” has already awarded several major contracts. CP 101, which includes the depot and four stations in Quezon City, went to the Shimizu-Fujita-Takenaka-EEI joint venture. Nishimatsu and DMCI won CP 102 for Quezon Avenue and East Avenue stations, while Sumitomo secured CP 103 for Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo. A partnership of Megawide, Tokyu Construction, and Tobishima is building the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations under CP 104.

The %u20B1488.5-billion project is largely funded by an 848-billion-yen loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Once operational in 2029, the subway is expected to cut travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from 1.5 hours to just 35 minutes. Initial capacity is pegged at 370,000 passengers daily, expandable to one million in later years.

Designed to be interoperable with the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), the subway will allow passengers seamless travel from Quezon City to Calamba, Laguna, once both systems are fully operational.

Officials said the October awarding of the final contracts will cement momentum for the MMSP, seen as a game-changer for mobility and economic development in the capital.