DOTr eyes Metro Manila Subway demo run in Q1 2028

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting to conduct a demo run of the Metro Manila Subway by the first quarter of 2028 as part of continuous efforts to complete the country's first underground railway system.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the demo run will cover the subway's initial segment in northern Metro Manila from East Valenzuela to Quirino Avenue.

"Ang target po namin, for demo run, uulitin ko po, for demo run, first quarter of 2028. Bakit po kailangan ng demo run? Dito po makikita natin, iba pa po 'yung testing and commissioning, from Valenzuela, East Valenzuela sa depot ng subway, all the way sa Quirino station sa Quezon City, patatakbuhin po natin ang ating mga bagon dito po sa sinasabi nating mga rail tracks. First phase. So maaasahan po nila 'yan sa first quarter of 2028," Lopez said.

(Our target for the demo run, I repeat, for the demo run, is first quarter of 2028. Why do we need a demo run? This will be from the East Valenzuela subway depot all the way to Quirino station in Quezon City. It is different from the testing and commissioning. Our coaches will run along the rail tracks. So this will be the first phase, which is expected by the first quarter of 2028.)

The Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) 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, 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.

Asked about the status of the entire subway system, Lopez said the completion rate was at about 26% as of November 2025.

The Metro Manila Subway—with an estimated total cost of P488.5 billion as of September 2025—will take about five more years to complete, based on DOTr estimates.

"The entire Metro Manila Subway po, as of November 2025, more or less nasa 26% po tayo. Kasi po kumplikado po ito no, ang sistema at paggawa ng subway, kung makikita ninyo po, may tunnel boring machine, tapos yung loob and everything. Other than you have to do everything underground talaga," the DOTr chief said.

(As of November 2025, the entire Metro Manila Subway, more or less, is at about 26%. The work in constructing a subway is complicated. As you can see, there's a tunnel boring machine. Work is done inside. Other than that, you really have to do everything underground.)

"So ang tingin namin, based on our calculations, kapag meron lang na, based on budget also no, makakaya natin full operations nito 2032, or last quarter 2031. And we're talking about the entire stretch from Valenzuela all the way to NAIA na po," Lopez added. 

(Based on our calculations, and based on budget as well, we can have full operations by 2032, or last quarter of 2031. We're talking about the entire stretch from Valenzuela all the way to NAIA.)

Lopez said the DOTr is seeking to resolve the remaining right-of-way (ROW) issues by the second quarter of 2026. 

Earlier this month, the DOTr reported that it has acquired a total of 90.76% right-of-way properties for the subway construction.

Upon completion, Lopez said, the MMSP is seen to benefit some 300,000 to 400,000 daily passengers.

The MMSP is envisioned to be interconnected with other rail systems: the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), and the Metro Rail Transit-Line 7 (MRT-7) 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. — VDV, GMA Integrated News