By Carlo P. Mallo
A Mindanao railway system may seem a long way to go yet, but Santa Cruz town mayor Joel Rey Lopez is already preparing his town to become the hub for the island-wide railway system.
Lopez said investors in the railway system are eyeing his town as the railway’s main center and depot.
“The Mindanao railway system will start in the Davao region and will progress outward even as the investors are thinking of starting the project next year,” Lopez said, adding that the investors are Chinese citizens. The project will be privately funded, the town mayor added.
An estimated 100 hectare property is being eyed by the investors to serve as depot, motor pool and a coal-fired power plant that will power the railway system.
Lopez said he welcomes the development as it will boost the economy of his town, which is also home to several investors who have shied away from Davao City. The town mayor attributes the investment to the strategic location and sound governance of the town.
Sta. Cruz is located right next to Davao City and is connected to it by a national highway. The town is also the gateway to other cities like Digos, General Santos, Kidapawan, Koronadal, and Marbel.
A railway system that traverses Mindanao is a long awaited infrastructure development that will provide a more efficient mode of transportation.
The entire railway system is expected to be completed within the next 10 to 15 years.
