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Marcos wants funds found for Mindanao railway project 

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JOYCE BALANCIO

ABS-CBN News

<p>DAVAO CITY — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday instructed the secretaries of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Finance (DOF) to work in tandem to look for fund sources for the stalled Tagum-Davao-Digos railway project. </p><p>During his speech during the 125th anniversary of the DOTr in Davao City, Marcos also stressed the need to build infrastructure projects that are “commuter-friendly” and address the threats of climate change. </p><p> “The same sensitivity to emerging trends and best practices should define our pivot to commuter-friendly transit systems and that is why I am ordering the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Secretary of Finance to work in tandem to explore financing sources for the 103km Tagum-Davao-Digos railway,” he added. </p><p>The DOTr on Tuesday said it will pursue the first phase of the Mindanao Railway project despite lacking a funding source. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/2/6/dotr-to-pursue-first-phase-of-mindanao-rail-project-1749">DOTr to pursue first phase of Mindanao rail project</a></div><p>The railway was supposed to start construction in January 2019, but the project was frozen after the government rejected the high interest rate being charged by the Chinese bank that was supposed to finance it.</p><p>Once completed, the srailway is expected to serve 122,000 passengers daily and cut travel time from Tagum City to Digos City to just one hour from three hours at present.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lam66H4_gaE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong>DAVAO PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODERNIZATION</strong></div><p> The President also witnessed the signing of the civil works contracts for the Davao Public Transportation Modernization Project (DPTMP) during the same event. </p><p>The DPTMP is a bus-based public transport system for commuters in Davao City, which is also anchored on the Department of Transportation’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP). </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/29/23/adb-lending-1-billion-to-ph-for-electric-buses-in-davao">ADB lending $1 billion to PH for electric buses in Davao</a></div><p>“The words to describe this project: safe, reliable, and efficient, are in fact the same trait all Filipinos aspired to see in the communities that they lived in,” Marcos said. </p><p> “It is a strong affirmation of our commitment to develop the Davao region. it is a demonstration of our resolve to deliver what people in all regions deserve – a mass transportation system that can move commuters and commerce efficiently,” he added. </p><p> Marcos said the project is expected to be a “game-changer” and “a template for all public transport systems in other cities in our country”.</p><p> “We assure you that we will attend to the needs of the those affected during its construction,” he also said. </p><p> Marcos also reiterated his instruction to all government agencies to make sure that all infrastructure projects are built “on time, on spec, and on budget”. </p><p> For his part, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that the project is seen to replicate the EDSA busway but on a much broader scale in the Davao metropolis. </p><p> The 672-kilometer PUV network, costing P73-B, will employ 386 electric buses, 531 regular buses and 188 mini buses that will run on dedicated lanes.</p><p> “By products of the whole endeavor are environment protection through reduction in air pollution, increased economic activity through efficient transfer of goods and people, enhanced socio economic benefits to families of stakeholders, and more,” Sec. Bautista said.</p><div><br/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said the project has been stalled for years due to lack of funding. </p>

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said the project has been stalled for years due to lack of funding.