Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez recognized the contribution of Japanese contractors working alongside the government in the construction of the Metro Manila Subway, ensuring a flood-free underground subway.
In an exclusive interview on DZRH’s Damdaming Bayan on Wednesday, the DOTr secretary assured that the project's feasibility study included measures to ensure that the underground subway would not be prone to flooding.
“Kasama po ‘yan sa pag-aaral. Sabi ko nga po, ang mga nag-aral dito talagang tumulong sa atin na talagang pondohan din ‘to ay mga dalubhasa–ay mga japanese po, mga JICA, government of Japan po ang katuwang natin dito,” Lopez said, highlighting the technical expertise and support provided by the Japanese government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“Alam naman po natin gaano kagaling ang mga Japanese contractors,” he added, praising the expertise and reliability of the project's foreign partners.
He assured the public that numerous mitigating measures have been put in place to address potential flooding, and he emphasized confidence in the project’s flood control systems, saying these are not “ghost," but fully functional and reliable. “We’re quite confident po na ang flood control po ng ating subway ay hindi ghost…gagana po ‘yan."
Moreover, Lopez also shared that the entire 33-kilometer subway line is expected to be operational by 2031 or 2032. However, by the second quarter of 2028, a demo run will be conducted for the initial segment, from Valenzuela to Quirino Station, allowing the public to see the subway in action for the first time.
Thus, additional tunnel boring machines were implemented to accelerate the completion of the Metro Manila Subway.
The subway project is being carried out with the help of Japan, specifically through Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. It is being done under a special scheme called Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP), which is managed by JICA.
The construction is being handled by a Japanese company, Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd.
