Marcos breaks ground for subway’s NAIA station

MANILA, Philippines — The construction of the Metro Manila subway project began yesterday through a groundbreaking ceremony led by President Marcos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

This major infrastructure milestone marks the start of a 2.413-kilometer underground railway route linking Taguig and Pasay cities, featuring a dedicated underground station built directly beneath the NAIA Terminal 3 open parking lot.

Marcos urged the project contractors to finish the development on time.

“The whole Metro Manila Subway project has achieved nearly 60 percent overall progress, with construction activities underway across much of its alignment,” he said.

Marcos said 100 percent of the station-area right-of-way has been secured, allowing construction to move forward.

“Proven in Japan, this method will help ensure that construction can proceed safely beneath existing infrastructure while also maintaining structural integrity,” Marcos said.

The President was joined by Sen. JV Ejercito, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Pasay Rep. Antonino Calixto and Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano.

Also present at the groundbreaking were Ramon Ang, president of New NAIA Infra Corp.; Ono Sho, Japanese embassy chargé d’affaires ad interim; Takashi Baba, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Tatsuya Sugawara, Taisei Corp. managing executive officer.

Financed by JICA with an approved total project cost of P488.48 billion, the 33.103-kilometer subway line aims to modernize capital transport by reducing travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA Terminal 3 from over 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 41 minutes.

The 33-kilometer Metro Manila subway project consists of 17 stations.

The NAIA Terminal 3 station is a critical component of the country’s first underground railway, with a gross floor area of 19,179.50 square meters.

By 2035, the terminal link is projected to serve about 70,000 passengers daily, and capacity is expected to reach 74,000 passengers daily by 2045.

The Metro Manila subway system, designed to operate 30 eight-car train sets at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2031.  –  Josiah Antonio