With the fast-paced construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project, lowering of its first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and a test run at its Valenzuela Depot will commence in May, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade announced on Tuesday.

“Una, tiningnan natin yung mga ginawa sa Valenzuela Depot. Tatapusin ‘ho ‘yun sa buwan ng Mayo—‘yung mga structures, ‘yung mga piling,” Tugade said during the inspections at the project’s Valenzuela Depot, Tandang Sora, and North EDSA Stations.

Tugade pointed out that the ongoing construction is a concrete proof that the project is “real” and that the project should be completed in 2.5 years according to the timelines of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its railway sector.

Joining Tugade in inspecting the Valenzuela Depot, and the Tandang Sora and North EDSA stations were Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Tugade expressed his gratitude to Lorenzana for allowing the development of DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) properties to create convenient access points and multi-modal transport plazas for five subway stations of the subway system.

“Kung wala ‘yung lupain ng ating National Defense, kung wala ‘yung lupain ng ating Armed Forces, wala ‘yung ating subway. Agaran niyang dinesisyunan ang proyekto, agaran siyang naki-isa sa proyekto kaya naman nararapat ang pasasalamat—again to Secretary Lorenzana, maraming salamat,” Tugade said.

Lorenzana underscored the importance of the project for ease of mobility and connectivity, while also helping in the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) by developeing and constructing enterprises at the five DND-AFP stations.

“Kami naman sa defense and security, we welcome this mass transport para mabilis ‘yung daloy ng mga tao. It’s about time na we will also adopt the newest subways with the help of our Japanese friends,” Lorenzana said.

“Kaya kami interesado rito dahil itong subway na ito ay dadaan sa mga kampo ng Armed Forces. With the stations, you can build coffee shops there and everything that would help people there. Para lalo nating mapaganda ang ating kampo at ating Armed Forces,” he explained.

Hailed as the “Project of the Century,” the project will be the first underground mass transit system in the Philippines – a modern railway system that will be at par with the rest in the world.

Funded by the Japanese government, the subway is a 33-kilometer rail line that will stretch from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City, reducing travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from 1 hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes.

Once operational, the Metro Manila Subway can accommodate up to 370,000 passengers per day in its first year of operations. DOTr