The long-planned Mindanao Railway System has gained new support after the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) recently signed a partnership to speed up work on the island’s main rail project.
Based on a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) shared with Edge Davao, the two agencies will strengthen coordination to fast-track key transport projects, especially the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP).
The agreement, signed by MinDA Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno and DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez, creates a Mindanao Railway Project Desk within MinDA.
The MOA states that this office will handle monitoring, data gathering, and coordination among agencies involved in the railway project. The railway is seen as a major investment that can improve the movement of goods and people across Mindanao.
The partnership also will set up a Mindanao Interagency Convergence platform to align policies, solve delays, and ensure regular public updates on project progress.
Magno said better coordination will help avoid delays and give investors and stakeholders clearer timelines for the railway’s development.
He added that the project supports the infrastructure program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and promotes balanced growth across regions.
“For Mindanao, the railway is not just a transport project. It can lower shipping costs, improve supply chains, and open new areas for business outside major cities,” Magno said.
The three-year agreement ensures continued planning and coordination, showing the government’s commitment to push the railway project forward.
Magno said the partnership aims to turn plans into actual construction progress and position the Mindanao Railway System as a key project that will better connect the island to national and regional trade routes, including the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.
