CAGAYAN de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Monday said the Mindanao railway project proposed to be undertaken via a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme secured P100 million funding for its feasibility studies late last week.
The proposed 54.8-kilometer Northern Mindanao segment of the Mindanao Railway System railway project links Cagayan de Oro to Laguindingan and Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
Earlier even Transport Assistant Secretary Leonel De Velez had raised the need for more railways to support growth in the countryside.
The PPP Center of the Philippines, in a statement, said the Mindanao Railway Project Phase 3 was granted P100 million by the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF).
De Velez also said the studies aim to determine the alignment of the railways, the number of stations, and other deliverables.
De Velez said it will connect the metropolitan areas of Cagayan de Oro up to Laguindingan Airport, and in time link with the rest of the Mindanao Railway System.
The PDMF is a revolving fund managed by the PPP Center to support infrastructure projects in the country, he said.
Also, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported that the PDMF Committee on Friday, February 17, approved the P100 Million funds for the feasibility study of the said Northern Mindanao Railway (Cagayan de Oro) Project.
The funding was requested by Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez in a letter to DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista last July 2022.
“The feasibility study will determine the alignment of railways, including the Light Rail/Elevated Railway from Bugo to Iponan and from Paseo Rotonda to Macalaban Port passing thru A. Velez st. to Pacana st. to Puntod then Macabalan, the number of stations to be established,” said Rodriguez.
He added as well as other types of services necessary to ensure the safety, reliability, and comfortability of the future railway system.
The project is also in line with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to “Build Better More” and the approved Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 which highlights the importance of mass transit systems around the country.
It can be noted that in August 2022, Rodriguez conferred with Secretary Bautista and Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chaves in which they discussed two (2) important railway projects: the CdeO Skyway/Light Rail System and Northern Mindanao Railway Project.
“We are very much thankful to DOTr headed by Secretary Jaime Bautista and Usec. Cesar Chaves for their support for these projects,” said Rodriguez.
"s a highly urbanized city and soon to be a metropolitan city, Cagayan de Oro needs to prepare for efficient public transportation to ease traffic and pollution, according to Rodriguez.
“The railway projects in CdeO and Northern Mindanao are very much longer due. And I thank President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos through his 'Build Better More' program for supporting the railway projects in Mindanao,” said Rodriguez.
