Department of Economy, Planning, and Development 11 (formerly National Economic and Development Authority) Director Pricilla Sonido told Edge Davao that the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) is still in the Right-of-Way (RoW) acquisition stage for the Tagum-Davao-Digos (TDD) segment.
DEPD 11 also said that the Department of Transportation (DoTR) is expected to allocate funding for RoW acquisition next year.
“The DoTR just emailed us because RDC issued a resolution prompting DoTR to pursue the Mindanao Railway Project. I think they have allotted some amount for 2026, if not 2025, for the RoW negotiation. The project is still in the RoW stage, hanggang ngayon RoW pa rin tayo,” Sonido said.
The project is facing funding challenges after China government pulled out of the project last year. The government is now exploring other funding sources, including official development assistance (ODA) and public-private partnerships (PPP).
The TDD, which is the first phase of the project, is a 100.2-kilometer railway connecting Tagum City, Davao City, and Digos City, and the its alignment requires securing RoW over its entire length, including land acquisition for stations.
“Ang alignment ng TDD mahaba kasi siya, and the terrain of Davao is maraming mountains. At saka meron pang bypass road, so which would come first? The road or the railway, there is that question. Kailangan pag-aralan talaga ang alignment kung saan talaga siya pupunta. Yung previous findings mag cut to some points in the bypass road, which is not good. Unahin at ayusin muna natin ang bypass road, then comes the railway. Ganoon seguro,” Sonido said.
Meanwhile, the Transportation department is working on the feasibility study (FS) to overhaul the Mindanao Railway’s original study to make it more modern and environmentally friendly.
“A new FS is coming because the FS made by China may not be that acceptable to the new ODA kasi ibang FS yun. The new ODA might be conducting a new FS,” she said.
The first phase of the Mindanao Railway project is valued at P83 billion. It is expected to carry 122,000 passengers per day and cut travel time between Tagum City and Digos City from three hours to one hour.
In November last year, Vice President Sara Duterte expressed her disappointment over the delay of the construction of the MRP due to funding challenges.
Duterte said she ran for vice president in 2022, intending to carry on her father’s, former President Rodrigo Duterte, “Build Build Build” program, which has the MRP as one of the flagship projects.
She said that the MRP is not the only one that is unappropriated by the Philippine government in its obligations, as other projects face a similar situation.
