Old Bulacan PNR Stations Will Stay Intact, DOTr Confirms

The oldest stations in Bulacan belonging to the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will remain intact, and no demolition orders will be issued for them. This was the assurance of Department of Transportation (DOTr) undersecretary Timothy John Batan during the signing of the contract for railroad construction from Bocaue to Tutuban and on to Blumentritt under the North-South Commuter Railway Project.

Among the remaining structures are the stations of Meycauayan, Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos, all located in the province of Bulacan. Batan said that the Meycauayan station will remain in its present location and the new one will be built right next to it. Below is an artist's rendering of the plan.

According to Mayor Henry Villarica, the city government has already allocated between PHP8 to PHP810 million for the preservation of the said station. Aside from funding from the city's coffers, an additional PHP2 million will come from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

Meanwhile, Eliseo Dela Cruz, head of the Bulacan Provincial History, Arts & Culture and Tourism Office, said they are advocating the importance of the said stations to the Heritage and Culture of the National Museum of the Philippines.

According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, all the initial PNR stations were completed in 1892. The railway system also had a different name back then: The Manila-Dagupan Ferrocaril.