Camille Naredo

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr inspects the ongoing Metro Manila Subway Project at Camp Aguinaldo Station in Quezon City on July 16, 2025. Jonas Sulit, PPA pool/File

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr inspects the ongoing Metro Manila Subway Project at Camp Aguinaldo Station in Quezon City on July 16, 2025. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro were also present during the event.

Jonas Sulit, PPA pool

Article (news)

MARCOS

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The conflict in the Middle East is pushing up fuel and construction costs, potentially increasing overall project expenses, according to private contractors working on the government’s flagship rail projects -- the Metro Manila Subway Project and the North-South Commuter Railway.</p><p>According to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction, which handles Contract Package 103 covering the Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo stations of the subway, most of the heavy equipment it uses is powered by diesel.</p><p>“As you know, the price of diesel already doubled. Before it’s P60 per liter, now it’s P123 per liter… Although our tunnel boring machines are powered by (electricity), we also need excavators, cranes, and dump trucks,” said Construction Manager for Tunneling Works Ricky Salenga.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/2/13/marcos-breaks-ground-on-kalayaan-bgc-stations-of-metro-manila-subway-1045">READ: Marcos breaks ground on Kalayaan, BGC stations of Metro Manila Subway</a></div><p>But he expressed optimism that construction delays can be avoided, citing efforts by the Department of Energy to secure an additional oil supply.</p><p>“For delays, it will only happen if we no longer have supply of diesel… They said there are incoming deliveries, so we expect no delay. That’s also what the acting Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) mentioned,” he said.</p><p>Salenga spoke to the media during a tour organized by the Japanese Embassy in Manila, which featured infrastructure projects funded through official development assistance from Japan, such as the P488-billion underground railway system.</p><p>He added that they are in constant coordination with the DOTr in case the fuel crisis further escalates.</p><p>“There is always coordination between us and DOTr about this. As of this moment, there is no instruction from them to stop or suspend operations… But of course, we don’t know how far the conflict in the Middle East will go,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RISING MATERIAL COSTS</strong></div><p>Rising fuel prices are also expected to drive up the cost of construction materials, particularly imported ones.</p><p>However, Shimizu-Fujita-Takenaka-EEI Joint Venture (SFTE-JV), which handles Contract Package 101 of the MMSP, said it has already secured most of the major components needed for the project.</p><p>The contract package covers the construction of three underground stations along Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue, as well as a depot in Valenzuela City.</p><p>“We have already received the most important things just like the sheet piles, the structures. Siguro yung mga kwan na lang, electro mechanical (components) so there’s no issue on any delays,” said Station Deputy Civil Manager Antonio Aganon, Jr. during a press conference at the Valenzuela depot.</p><p>“The last TBM (tunnel boring machine) that we ordered is already en route so the arrival of the TBM here in North Harbor will be between April 4 to 6,” he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/24/iran-strikes-israel-denies-trump-talks-2109">READ: Iran strikes Israel, denies Trump talks</a></div><p>The Metro Manila Subway is a 33-kilometer line, which will run between Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Parañaque, and Pasay. It also connects directly to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) via a spur line.</p><p>The DOTr said partial operations will likely be in 2032.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NSCR: MATERIALS SECURED, COORDINATION CHALLENGES REMAIN</strong></div><p>The Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture (TDJV) also said it has secured most of the materials needed for Contract Package 01 of the North-South Commuter Railway.</p><p>This contract covers the construction of four stations, specifically in West Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue, as well as the Malanday Depot.</p><p>Some finishing materials, however, are still being sourced from abroad.</p><p>“We have some (finishing) materials that are still outside of the country. We are coordinating that properly with our manufacturers and suppliers… For now, we have not heard issues or problems,” said Deputy Project Manager Gerardo Ancheta.</p><p>Ancheta said the more pressing challenge for them is interface coordination, or aligning work with other contractors handling different segments of the project.</p><p>He explained that this can cause delays, especially when contract packages are awarded at different times.</p><p>“Just like the ceiling (of this control center), we cannot close it because they still have to finish the design and the installation of their works. Kasi they are the ones that will do the electro mechanic works—meaning yung signalling system, communication system, overhead catenary system, power supply, sa kanila lahat yun e,” he said.</p><p>The DOTr has earlier said that the Valenzuela to Malolos leg of the NSCR is expected to be operational by the end of 2027.</p>

<p>Private contractors working on the government’s flagship rail projects, the Metro Manila Subway Project and the North-South Commuter Railway, said the Middle East conflict is pushing up fuel and construction costs, potentially increasing overall project expenses.</p>

Private contractors working on the government’s flagship rail projects, the Metro Manila Subway Project and the North-South Commuter Railway, said the Middle East conflict is pushing up fuel and construction costs, potentially increasing overall project expenses.

US-Israel war vs Iran driving up costs of subway, NSCR — contractors

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US-Israel war vs Iran driving up costs of subway, NSCR — contractors

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 25, 2026 09:16 PM PHT

Read More:

US-Israel war vs Iran

fuel prices

cost of construction materials

flagship infrastructure projects

Metro Manila Subway Project

North-South Commuter Railway

foreign-assisted projects

Embassy of Japan in the Philippines

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