P820M compensation offered for Corinthian Gardens Subway right-of-way

The development of the Philippines’ first underground railway system has achieved a major milestone as negotiations for securing right-of-way in one of the most exclusive subdivisions in Metro Manila are already progressing.

In a statement on Tuesday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez said that as of September 30, 2025 the agency has already issued 32 compensation offers amounting to P820,555,800 to affected property owners within the Corinthian Gardens.

Lopez said the Metro Manila Subway Project’s (MMSP) alignment covers 500 meters, affecting 33 properties within Corinthian Gardens.

“Of these, 20 owners have accepted offers amounting to P461.078 million, while negotiations with the remaining property owners are ongoing,” the acting DOTr chief said.

With this, he said that drilling works along the MMSP alignment within the Corinthian Gardens will begin in January 2026.

Lopez extended his “sincerest gratitude to the residents and homeowners of the Corinthian Gardens for their continued support of the Department of Transportation’s projects, particularly the Metro Manila Subway Project.”

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the DOTr to accelerate its flagship infrastructure projects to deliver faster, more convenient public transportation options for commuters at the soonest possible time,” he said.

To date, the right-of-way acquisition status for the MMSP is at 75%, with full completion targeted by March 2026.

Lopez earlier said the DOTr is eyeing to secure at least 95% of the right-of-way (ROW) for the construction of the MMSP by the end of 2025.

The Metro Manila Subway — the country’s very first underground railway system — broke ground in 2019. 

Upon completion, the MMSP will have a total of 17 stations and a 30.34-hectare depot where the Philippine Railway Institute is located.

The project involves the construction of a 33-kilometer railway line that will connect Valenzuela City to Pasay City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

The MMSP's 17 stations are: Valenzuela where the depot will be located, Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, Katipunan (Camp Aguinaldo), Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Kalayaan Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Lawton East, Senate-DepEd, NAIA Terminal 3, FTI, and Bicutan.

The MMSP is envisioned to be interconnected with other rail systems: the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), and the Metro Rail Transit-Line 7 (MRT7) through the Common Station; the Light Rail Transit-Line 2 (LRT2) at the Anonas Station; and a physical run through into the North-South Commuter Railway Extension (NSCR-Ex) at the FTI and Bicutan Stations.

The project currently has an estimated total cost of P488.5 billion, of which P370.7 billion will be financed through an official development assistance loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Meanwhile, P117.7 billion will be covered by the Philippine government.

The Philippine government and JICA have so far signed three tranches of loan agreements—the first tranche amounting to ¥104.53 billion, or P47.58 billion, was signed in March 2018; the second tranche, amounting to ¥253.31 billion, or P112.87 billion, was inked in February 2022; and the third ¥150-billion or P55.37 billion loan deal for the project was signed in March 2024. —VAL, GMA Integrated News