With a mission to become a world-class transportation organization by 2030, the Department of Transportation (DOTR) provides Filipinos with an environmentally friendly transportation system that has connected individuals, islands, families and communities for more than a century.
The DOTR is known for the successful construction and operation of some of the Philippines’ most renowned projects that have not only better mobilized Filipinos but also expanded the country’s economy and promoted society.
Recently completed programs and infrastructure, such as the five new stations of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension, the addition of more E-Jeeps for the PUV Modernization Program and the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway, have greatly improved the mass transportation experience.
This year, the Transportation Department is once again working to make mass transit more efficient, accessible and sustainable with projects that focus on all facets of travel, including land movement, maritime transportation and aviation.
One of the department’s biggest undertakings in recent years is the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP). The first underground railway system in the Philippines will cross eight cities from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City, with a rail line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The 33-kilometer, 17-station subway is expected to reduce travel time from Quezon City to NAIA to just 35 minutes. The latest news on the project indicates that the railway is on track for partial opening from Valenzuela City to North Avenue in Quezon City by 2028.
Other rail projects that the transportation department is currently working on include the Metro Rail Transit Line-4, which runs from Taytay, Rizal to the EDSA-Tortigas Junction, and the Metro Rail Transit Line 7, which connects Bulacan and Quezon City and reportedly has a progress rate of almost 70%.
Another expected initiative by the DOTR, together with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), is the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project, which is scheduled to begin construction this year. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the 32.15-kilometer “climate-resilient” bridge will reduce travel time in the said provinces from five hours to one hour, and is aimed at helping decongest Metro Manila.
Besides the BCIB, the DOTR and DPWH are promoting several other ambitious bridge projects such as the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project, the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Bridge and the Pangange Bay Bridge in Northern Mindanao. These bridge projects are intended to streamline the transportation of goods and people, significantly reduce travel time and strengthen economic activities in the region.
Several Expressway projects are also expected to continue this year as part of the department’s initiative to not only boost accessibility to other parts of Luzon but also ultimately connect to the other expressways. These expressways include the Union’s Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Extension Project, the Manila-Cavite Expressway and Cavite-Laguna Expressway Link, the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road, and the southeastern Metro Manila Expressway along C-6 Road .
In addition to its efforts to improve land connectivity, the DOTR also prioritizes the development of the country’s maritime infrastructure to support maritime trade and travel. One of the department’s priority projects is the new Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), which aims to improve the cargo capacity of the CEBU Base Port and reduce logistics costs.
Awarded to Korean company HJ Shipbuilding and Construction Corp., the P16.9-billion port can serve two 2,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) vessels served by four quayside cranes and supported by a 1,365-meter access road that connects the new gate via a 300 meter offshore bridge. The project is expected to be completed by 2028.
Likewise, the DOTR is working to build 200 more ports under the Marcos Administration’s initiative to improve inter-island travel and logistics costs. These facilities will be located in some of the farthest islands of the Philippines and would each require between P20 million to P80 million to build.
Additionally, the state-run Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has its “Green Port Program” that integrates clean and renewable energy sources into multiple ports across the country. Currently, the program is being implemented in ports including SASA in Davao City, Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Capinpin in Bataan, Catagbacan in Bohol, Siargao in Surigao del Norte, Lavonia in Cagayan, Plaridel in Misamis Occidental and Balogo in Camarines Norte.
In addition to land and sea transportation, the DOTR is also investing heavily in building additional and modernizing the country’s airports. Last year, the country’s main airport, NAIA, finally kicked off its long-awaited rehabilitation project under its new operator San Miguel’s new NAIA Infrastructure Corp. The modernization program hopes to increase the airport’s capacity from 35 million passengers to 62 million passengers and uptick in air traffic movement from 40 movements per hour to 48 and improve service quality.
Apart from the rehabilitation of NAIA, the transportation department is also working to expand the Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA) through a P4.53-billion public-private partnership project that will see the BPIA increase its capacity to nearly four million passengers per year at 2030.
Moreover, the development of new airports in Dumaguete and Siargao are also in the works and are expected to create more opportunities for students, for workers and businesses, while helping to support tourism and trade.
However, slight reductions in the 2025 budget have raised concerns among some Filipinos as they may delay the completion of certain key projects. DOTR Secretary Jaime J. Bautista denied these claims in a press conference in Malacañang on January 7.
“It has a very small effect,” he said. “Those that have been reduced in principle are the loan proceeds, but these are foreign support projects. But even though we are not included in the budget, we can still tap into the loans so that we can finance these major projects like the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway. “
The DOTR’s ongoing projects show off its commitment to building a modern, inclusive and sustainable transportation network for the Philippines spanning land, sea and air travel. Through these groundbreaking initiatives, the department is connecting Filipinos for better mobility, transporting goods and products to boost the economy, and transforming the Philippines to improve the quality of life. – Jomarc Angelo M. Corpuz