House sets aside P6.58b to start Mindanao Rail project

August 14, 2017

The Duterte administration has set aside an initial amount of P6.58 billion to start the multi-billion peso Mindanao Rail Project (MRP). The P6.58 billion, which was earmarked by the  Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives will  primarily fund the first segment, which will run from Tagum – Davao – Digos. The appropriation comes more than a month after the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) approved Phase 1 of MRP, which will cost P35.257-billion via general appropriation. Phase 1, which is targeted to start construction by the third quarter of 2018, is a 105-kilometer line that is expected to reduce travel time from Davao del Norte to Davao del Sur from 3.5 hours to just 1.3 hours. It will have eight stations: Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Mudiang, Davao Terminal, Toril, Sta. Cruz, and Digos. Phase 1 of MRP, the first rail system outside Luzon, forms part of the entire 1,530-kilometer circumferential and spur rail lines that will connect Davao provinces, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and Zamboanga. It is targeted for completion by 2021. DMS