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Two railway projects, the North-South Commuter Railway Valenzuela-Malolos segment and Metro Rail Transit-7, will start operations next year, according to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
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Marcos said in his 5th State of the Nation Address on July 27 that the Department of Transportation will also strive to complete the Malolos-Clark segment by 2028
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The 12 stations of MRT-7 will also be opened next year
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Another mass transit project scheduled to be launched next year is the bus rapid transit for Ilocos Norte
Two railway projects, the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Valenzuela-Malolos segment and Metro Rail Transit-7 (MRT-7), are slated to start operations next year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in his 5th state of the nation address on July 27.
He added that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will strive to complete the NSCR Malolos-Clark segment by 2028.
The NSCR is a 147.26-kilometer (km) elevated railway line that will ease travel across three regions: Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and CALABARZON. The railway will feature 35 stations, including 31 elevated, three at-grade, and one underground. Depots will be located in Clark, Valenzuela, and Calamba to support maintenance and operations.
Once completed, DOTr said the railway will serve 800,000 passengers daily and reduce travel time from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna to just two hours from the current four hours by road.
Aside from the NSCR Valenzuela-Malolos segment, Marcos said the 12 stations of MRT-7 will be opened next year. The MRT-7 is a 22 km elevated railway that will connect North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.
Marcos noted that thanks to the Accelerated and Reformed Right of Way (ARROW) Act, right-of-way (ROW) issues “are now more quickly resolved, removing the biggest chokepoint in our mass transit development program.” Signed in September 2025, Republic Act No. 12289, or the ARROW Act, aims to expedite and ensure fairness in the government’s acquisition of land for infrastructure projects while providing proper compensation to landowners and affected families.
READ: DOTr gains ground on ROW for 2 rail projects
Another mass transit project scheduled to be launched next year is the bus rapid transit (BRT) for Ilocos Norte, following the partial operations of the Cebu BRT last March.
With more Filipinos turning to public transport amid increases in fuel prices, Marcos said the government has focused on railways, busways, transport hubs and integrated terminals, as well as in upgrading airports and seaports nationwide to improve and expand coverage, increase capacity, and modernize services.
E-vehicles
Moreover, Marcos said he hopes by 2040, half of the country’s motor vehicles will be electric vehicles (EVs).
“Consistent with our clean energy drive, we have encouraged the adoption of electric vehicles. We have removed all tariffs on EVs until 2028 to bring down market prices, and government has also been mandated to prioritize electric vehicles in their re-fleeting plans,” Marcos said.
READ: Less dwell time for e-trucks crucial for viability, says FAST Logistics
He said this “clean and green policy” will spur growth of the domestic local industries across the EV value chain, specifically those involved in the vehicle assembly and manufacturing of batteries and related spare parts.
Marcos said some units in the government’s Love Bus program and articulated buses to be used in Davao City will be EVs.
On the waterways, Marcos said electric ferry boats will also be used in the Pasig River Ferry Service. Last year, M/B Dalaray, the first locally designed and fabricated battery-electric ferry in the Philippines that will be used in the Pasig River Ferry Service, was launched. It was built by the University of the Philippines Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute for the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development, in partnership with the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Maritime Industry Authority.
READ: Final study for Manila-Pasig-Laguna ferry hinges on PPA’s Pasig River plan
Marcos, speaking in Filipino, rallied the land, sea, and air transport industry to support the government in its push for an inclusive and modernized public mobility system.
“Kaya hinihiling ko ang suporta ng buong industriya upang mapaandar na natin sa lalong madaling panahon ang ating minimithing modernisasyon ng mga pampublikong sasakyan. Titiyakin natin na magiging makatao, magaan, at makatarungan ang pagpapatupad nito,” he said.— Roumina Pablo
