Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto conducted another site visit to the government’s ongoing infrastructure projects on June 7, 2024, this time at the first phase of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 (South) Cavite Extension Project that will help boost economic activity outside Metro Manila.

“The project represents a dramatic shift in transit-oriented development here in the Philippines. It will not only connect Manila to Cavite but also act as a catalyst for economic activity, creating new opportunities for more jobs and businesses to flourish in Region IV-A or the CALABARZON,” he said.

“We give it [the project] utmost importance, and that’s why our presence is here. This is where your taxes go. This is where our borrowings go. Magandang PPP project ito dahil hating kapatid. Many students who are going to Recto, going to University Belt, na galing Parañaque or Cavite, makikinabang din dito,” he added during an interview.

The project is an 11.7-kilometer (km) extension to the existing 20.7 km LRT-1 system that will traverse the cities of Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Bacoor, Cavite, with a satellite depot in Zapote.

It also includes the procurement of 30 four-car Fourth Generation Light Rail Vehicles to be operated across the entire LRT-1 alignment.

With a total project cost of PHP 64.915 billion, the project is being financed through a hybrid model consisting of PHP 17.80 billion in official development assistance (ODA) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); PHP 39.57 billion from the private sector operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC); and PHP 7.55 billion from the Government of the Philippines.

The project consists of three packages and is expected to add about 300,000 passengers to the daily LRT-1 ridership, bringing the total to 800,000, during the first year of full operations in 2031, according to LRMC.

It will connect Manila to Cavite, reducing travel time from Baclaran, Pasay to Niog, Cavite from 1 hour and 10 minutes via local roads to only 25 minutes via train.

Package 1 of the project involves the construction of the first five stations, namely the Redemptorist-ASEANA; Manila International Airport (MIA) Road; Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX); Ninoy Aquino Avenue; and Dr. Santos Avenue (formerly Sucat Road).

Package 1 is set to be operational by end-2024 and will cut travel time between Baclaran to Dr. Santos Avenue, Parañaque from the current 20 to 40 minutes via local roads to only 14 minutes.

The first package will extend the current LRT-1 alignment by 6.35 km and add 87,000 passengers to the current daily ridership of the LRT-1.

Most importantly, Package 1 will provide rail access going to and from the PITX, a major public transport terminal serving commuters in southern Metro Manila; Cavite; and other nearby cities and provinces.

Its fifth station, Dr. Santos Avenue, also features an intermodal transportation facility equipped with seven bays for buses; two for jeepneys; 12 for taxis; and 16 for Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) and private vehicles.

Packages 2 and 3 of the project, consisting of Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog stations, are set to commence construction soon.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista thanked Secretary Recto and the Department of Finance (DOF) for supporting the DOTr’s projects and ensuring continued funding for their uninterrupted delivery.

Also present during the site visit were DOF Undersecretaries Joven Balbosa and Catherine Fong; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral; DOF OIC Assistant Secretary Donalyn Minimo; and DOTr Assistant Secretary Jorjette Aquino.

They were joined by Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Hernando Cabrera; Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Romando Artes; Paranaque City Representative Edwin Olivarez; Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez; LRMC President and CEO Mr. Jose Ma. K. Lim; LRMC General Manager Mr. Enrico R. Benipayo; and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Takema Sakamoto.

Secretary Recto took it upon himself to personally conduct regular worksite visits on infrastructure projects to ensure they are moving efficiently as planned, starting with the Metro Manila Subway Project at the East Valenzuela Depot last February 26, 2024.