Mindanao map. INQUIRER FILES
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is keen on finishing the feasibility study for the P100.64-billion train project in Metro Cagayan de Oro—or the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) phase 3–by the first quarter of next year, according to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines.
PPP Center deputy executive director Jeffrey Manalo, in an interview last week in Quezon City, said the review of 54.8-kilometer (km) inter-city passenger and cargo railway system was still being finalized.
In a feasibility study, the government looks into the alignment of the railway, its final project cost, economic impact and other related matters.
“The next step there is, based on the study, they will finalize the project approval documents and submit it to the appropriate approving body depending on the final terms,” Manalo said.
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The project includes the construction of passenger railway stations, cargo terminals, maintenance depots, operations control centers, connectivity to seaports and commercial areas.
The railway system is being designed to link the industrial and commercial centers in northern Mindanao and provide connection to Laguindingan International Airport, the Port of Cagayan de Oro City, the Mindanao Container Port and industrial estates.
The entire Mindanao Railway spans 1,544 km, which seeks to support connectivity across major cities such as Davao, General Santos, Cotabato, Zamboanga and Surigao, among others.
Last year, the PPP Center granted the MRP Phase 3 with a P100-million funding for its feasibility study via the agency’s Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF).
The PDMF is a revolving fund managed by the PPP Center to support infrastructure projects in the country.
The DOTr previously stressed the need for more railway systems in the countryside supporting both passenger and cargo movements.
It noted the only 14 out of 81 provinces, or 17.3 percent, have operational or investment-approved inter-regional railways. This is markedly lower compared to the country’s neighbors Vietnam (41.3 percent), Thailand (55.3 percent) and Japan (97.9 percent).
Apart from the Mindanao railway, the DOTr is also working on the North-South Commuter Railway, which will have 35 stations spanning 28 local government units from Pampanga to Laguna. It is designed to serve over a million passengers daily.