Chavit Singson, family turn over part of Metrowalk property to DOTr for subway project

Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson and his family have turned over a portion of their Metrowalk property to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to give way for the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).

In a news release, the DOTr said Singson and his daughter, Ako Ilocano Ako Partylist Representative Richelle Singson Michael, joined Transportation Assistant Secretary for Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition (ROWSA) IC Calaguas during the demolition and fencing of the Metrowalk property on October 22, 2025.

The Singson family owns Blemp Commercial of the Philippines Inc. (BCPI), the company that manages the Metrowalk with a total area of more or less eight hectares, 12,752 of which will be used for the MMSP Ortigas Station.

“After nearly three years of delay, sinimulan na natin ang demolisyon at pagbabakod sa property para naman masimulan na rin natin ang pagtatayo ng Ortigas Station ng subway,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez.

The DOTr said it has so far acquired 82% of the right-of-way of MMSP.

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 will be in 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. –NB, GMA Integrated News