It's Final! Metro Manila Subway Groundbreaking to be Held on February 27

It's finally set. After months and months of delays, the Metro Manila Subway,which is also known as Mega Manila Subway, is set for its official groundbreaking this February 27.

"February 27 is the date of the groundbreaking of Metro Manila Subway," Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Goddess Hope Libiran said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The project's groundbreaking ceremony has been a 'hit-and-miss' for some time now. It was initially scheduled last December 2018, but according to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, it was moved to January 2019 due to "scheduling issues of the parties involved." This time, it's now set by the end of February this year.

Part of President Duterte’s ambitious 'Build, Build, Build Plan' for the Philippines, this subway is estimated to be 25 kilometers long, with an expected speed of about 80 kph. The inner tunnel diameter is 5.2 meters, while the outer tunnel diameter is 5.65 meters. It will stretch from the Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque City.

The government hopes that the subway will help lessen traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

Build, Build, Build Plan

The government sees the 'Build, Build, Build Plan' as a way to introduce the  'Golden Age of Infrastructure' for the Philippines.

This six-year infrastructure project is under the "Dutertenomics" policy, which aims to make the country a "prosperous, predominantly middle-class society" by improving and developing  infrastructure programs for transportation (roads, bridges, airports, and seaports), flood management, water resources, energy, communications, sewerage & sanitation, and solid waste management.

The entire budget is estimated to cost between PHP8 to PHP9 trillion over the medium term, with around 4,000 infrastructure projects lined up for the entire project. The first phase of the underground railway will have a total of 14 stations from Mindanao Avenue to NAIA.