Builder secures subway contract linking BGC to Kalayaan station

D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) has been awarded the contract package (CP) for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) segment that will connect Kalayaan and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) stations in Taguig City, marking the first new contract issued for the underground rail since 2022.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirmed that DMCI, working in joint venture with Japanese partner Nishimatsu Construction Co. Ltd., won CP 105 of the project. The package covers the construction of a 0.66-kilometer tunnel, a 242.2-meter station in Kalayaan, and a 436.05-meter station in BGC.

According to an analysts’ briefer, the CP 105 alignment is a critical link as it extends the subway’s reach to the southern section of Metro Manila. DMCI said once the contract is finalized, the segment may take 67 months, or about six years and five months, to complete.

The award came after DMCI outbid Megawide Construction Corp. and its Japanese partners. The final contract price has yet to be announced, pending concurrence from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project’s funding partner.

Transportation officials stressed the urgency of finalizing remaining packages, which include CP 108 (Lawton to Senate) and CP 109 (airport line). Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the DOTr is working to complete all awards this year to meet the revised project deadline.

The MMSP, initially targeted for partial operations by 2029, has faced delays primarily due to right-of-way (ROW) issues. The completion timeline has since been pushed back to as late as 2032. Still, officials noted progress, with overall construction reaching 51.17 percent as of July, compared with 44.03 percent a year earlier. Excavation and tunneling works have advanced to 3.15 kilometers, from 1.62 kilometers in the same period last year.

The DOTr has also reported improved ROW acquisition, now at 71.47 percent as of August, with a target of reaching full acquisition by mid-2026. Former transport chief Vince Dizon was credited with resolving ROW bottlenecks in areas such as Ortigas and White Plains, allowing work to accelerate.

The MMSP, considered the country’s first underground rail system, will span 33 kilometers with 17 stations from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Once operational, it is expected to cut travel time between endpoints from 90 minutes to 35 minutes, serving over half a million passengers daily.

For DMCI, the win adds to a growing pipeline of infrastructure projects secured through joint ventures with foreign partners. The company has also taken part in the North-South Commuter Railway. Revenues from joint ventures rose by 27 percent in the first half of 2025 to %u20B11.99 billion. Its project pipeline currently stands at %u20B1144.4 billion, covering 76 works in railways, roads, bridges, and buildings.