Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Groundbreaking of the Metro Manila Subway Project – NAIA Terminal 3 Station

Thank you to our Transportation Secretary, Secretary Banoy Lopez.

Senator JV Ejercito; Pasay Congressman Antonino Calixto and the other Representatives here present; Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano; the President of New NAIA Infra Corp. Mr. Ramon Ang; Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Japan Mr. Ono Sho; Japan International Cooperation Agency Representative Mr. Baba Takashi; Mr. Tatsuya Sugawara of Taisei and all other partners from the private sector; my fellow workers in government; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

A good day to you all.

Last February, we gathered to break ground on the Kalayaan Avenue and Bonifacio Global City stations of the Metro Manila Subway.

Seven months later, we are here to move another section of this project forward as we break ground on the NAIA Terminal 3 Station and its connecting tunnels under Contract Package 109.

From Quezon City to Taguig and now toward our international airport, the Metro Manila Subway is steadily taking shape.

And that progress matters because moving around Metro Manila still takes far too much time.

Many Filipinos spend too much of their day on the road and as more vehicles fill our roads, it becomes clear that we cannot address congestion by relying on roadworks alone.

Our people need a public transport system that gives them a real alternative, one that is efficient, dependable, and connected to the places where we live, study, work, and travel.

Our investors and tourists need to know that they can rely upon a transport system that can bring them to where they need to be and want to be in the most efficient manner that is possible.

And that is why the modernization of our railway system remains a priority of this Administration. We aim to make it easier for Filipinos, business people, and our guests to move around [and] to lessen the time that they spend in traffic.

Contract Package 109 brings that network closer to our international gateway.

It covers the construction of the underground NAIA Terminal 3 Station and its connecting tunnels between Taguig and Pasay.

Once the Metro Manila Subway is fully operational, travel between Valenzuela and NAIA is expected to be reduced from about one hour and 30 minutes to just 40 minutes.

The NAIA Terminal 3 Station will also provide passengers with a direct rail connection to the busiest airport terminals in the country.

Of course, building a subway beneath a dense and highly developed city is no simple undertaking.

That is why CP109 will also introduce advanced engineering methods to the Philippines. Its tunnels will require the underpinning of existing expressway piers, the first application of this type of technology for tunnel construction in the country.

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

Another important milestone is that one hundred percent of the station-area right-of-way has already been secured, allowing construction to move forward with greater certainty.

This progress reflects the cooperation of government, the private sector, and all our other development partners.

I thank our local governments for bringing this project forward. I also extend my appreciation to the Government of Japan and the JICA for their longstanding support for the Metro Manila Subway.

And to our contractors, our engineers, and workers: much of what we celebrate in projects like this rests on the work that you do every day. I ask that you carry out this project safely, efficiently, and on time, with the quality that generations of Filipinos deserve.

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

This project, along with other railway projects that we are currently undertaking, such as the North-South Commuter Railway, the MRT-7, the Common Station, and our other rail projects, forms part of our broader effort to improve mobility and connectivity. Together, these projects will better connect communities within Metro Manila and beyond, providing greater convenience and better opportunities for our people.

Ladies and gentlemen, when we broke ground on the Kalayaan and BGC stations earlier this year, we spoke about the importance of every Filipino’s time.

That remains at the heart of the work that we continue today.

Every minute saved on the road is spent with loved ones, time to better ourselves, and time to be more productive citizens.

That is what projects such as the Metro Manila Subway must ultimately deliver.

As we break ground on Contract Package 109, let us continue this work with urgency, discipline, and with excellence.

Thank you very much.

Mabuhay po kayo.

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas. [applause]

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