DOTr: No funding for Mindanao railway in 2026 budget

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the proposed P197 billion budget for the agency for 2026 does not include allocations for the Mindanao Railway Project.

During the deliberation of the DOTr budget at the Senate, Transportation Assistant Secretary Eduardo Macabulos also said that the feasiblity study of the project is being updated in preparation for the next potential funding.

“Ina-update po ngayon sa kasalukuyan ang feasibility study po ng Mindanao Railway para sa susunod na pagkakataon na merong interested na mag-fund po ng project natin, ay updated na po yung feasibility studies,” Macabulos said in reply to the query of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez recommended allocating funds in the Project Management Office (PMO) for the railway project.

When Senator JV Ejercito asked if allotting budget for the Mindanao Railway Project is recommended, Lopez said, “Tama po kayo (you’re right), at least for the PMO and the right of way,”

In October 2023, then Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the government had already dropped Chinese official development assistance financing for the Mindanao Railway Project.

The Mindanao Railway was originally set to begin construction for its phase 1 or Tagum-Davao-Digos segment in January 2019.

Phase 1 of the project has a length of 100.2 kilometers with over eight stations and an estimated project cost of P81.6 billion as of 2021. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News