This February 5, 2021, photo shows the cutter head of the Tunnel Boring Machine No. 1 鈥淜aunlaran鈥� that arrived at the Manila Harbor Center in Port Area, Manila. This would be used for the Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1. It will break, cut, and grind rocks and soil by rotating its 36-piece disc cutter. (INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Metro Manila subway project might be partially operational by 2032, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said on Wednesday.聽
Dizon said that the completion of the project is unlikely to happen in 2028, when the term of President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� R. Marcos Jr. ends.聽
鈥淣apakarami pong delays. Ito pong mga dinatnan nating mga delay na ngayon ko lang po nakikita kung gaano kagrabe ang delays natin ay mukha pong mahihirapan tayo na matapos yung subway ng 2028,鈥� Dizon said in an interview with Radyo 630.聽
(There are a lot of delays. I saw the severity of the delays, and we will have difficulty completing the subway by 2028.)
When asked bout the realistic start of the operations, Dizon answered: 鈥淭ingin ko po, partial operations by 2032, pwede na po.鈥�
(I think partial operations by 2032 are possible.)
He bared that the operations within the DOTr and solving the right-of-way issues are some of the delays he noticed when he assumed office as the transportation secretary.
鈥淎nd marami rin pong delays sa operations mismo within DOTr. Sa project po mismo between DOTr and yung Japanese na partners, marami pong delays,鈥� Dizon added.聽
(There are a lot of delays in the operations within DOTr itself. There are delays between the DOTr and Japanese partners.)
The DOTr previously said that the entire P488.4-billion subway project would be fully operational in 2019. It was initially expected to be functional by 2028.
The 33-kilometer underground railway has 17 stations from Valenzuela City to Para帽aque City.聽