Ejercito vows to ensure funding for major railway projects

MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) and North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) will be assured of getting funding to prevent further delays in their implementation, Sen. JV Ejercito, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, vowed in a statement on Wednesday.

“Under my leadership as chairperson of the Committee on Finance, I will make sure that there will be no more delays and that our obligations will be met, especially for the North-South Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway System,” Ejercito said.

The foreign-assisted projects and the government participation will be in the programmed appropriations and “will be prioritized,” he added.

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READ: Ejercito wants higher funds for priority rail projects

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Ejercito issued his statement as he joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the groundbreaking ceremony of the MMSP Contract Package 109 (CP109) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

The 2.413-kilometer underground route will connect Taguig City and Pasay City and will feature a dedicated underground station beneath the NAIA Terminal 3 open parking lot. The NAIA Terminal 3 station is projected to serve about 70,000 passengers daily by 2035, with capacity expected to reach 74,000 passengers daily by 2045.

The 33.103-kilometer MMSP, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is expected to cut travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA Terminal 3 from more than one hour and 30 minutes to just 41 minutes. The entire subway system is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2031 and will operate 30 eight-car trainsets at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

Ejercito said the government should avoid a repeat of previous delays when project obligations were lodged under unprogrammed funds, saying: “I don’t think we can afford the delays because we are paying the commitment fee… We do not want that to happen anymore.”

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Ejercito acknowledged that the country is currently facing tight fiscal space but stressed the need to balance accountability reforms with the need to accelerate public spending.

READ: Ejercito renews push for long-term infra master plan

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“We need to accelerate spending, and our economy depends so much on public spending… That’s why I have always been pushing for infrastructure development because of its multiplier effect and long-term effects that will stimulate economic growth and spread out development,” he said.

“We need to start reaping the economic benefits of our railways,” he added. /atm