Source: Manila Bulletin, 27 March 2012
MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno S. Aquino III is looking forward to the full operations of a new railway line that will provide efficient and affordable transportation services between Metro Manila to Cavite by 2015.
The President said he would be “very severely disappointed” if he can’t ride the Light Rail Transit (LRT) south extension line by 2015.
The P61.53-billion LRT 1 south extension project, according to the President, is among the 12 major projects amounting to P133 billion approved by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) last week.
The project involves the construction of eight passenger stations with provision for two stations, extending the present 15-kilometer LRT line 1 in Baclaran all the way to Bacoor, Cavite. It will reportedly be funded through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) with P30.93 billion from the private sector and P30.59 billion from the government.
“I have full faith that Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas will have this extension operational at the soonest possible time. And if I haven’t ridden on it by 2015, I will be very severely disappointed,” the President said, during an investment forum in Makati City.
“That, in a little while, we will be able to expand transportation, and open the gates a little wider between Metro Manila’s and not just Cavite but the entire CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region’s economies,” he said.
Aquino said the LRT 1 south project will extend the existing railway by almost 12 kilometers “from Baclaran, through Parañaque and Las Piñas, to Bacoor, Cavite — and, with a little luck, perhaps points further down.”
Apart from providing safe and reliable transportation in Metro Manila and the suburbs, the new project also seeks to ease the traffic condition in the Parañaque-Las Piñas-Cavite area, and spur commercial development around the rail stations.
