Construction has officially begun on the direct subway link to Manila’s main airport, bringing the country’s flagship underground transit system another step closer to completion. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presided over the ceremony on Wednesday for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) connection to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
The President was joined by key government officials and international partners, including Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Japan’s Chargé d’Affaires Ono Sho, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Takashi Baba and New NAIA Infra Corp. Chairman and San Miguel Corporation CEO Ramon Ang. The official kickoff featured traditional ceremonial milestones, including the burying of a time capsule and the breaking of a sake barrel.
Designated as Contract Package 109 (CP109), the work encompasses a 2.413-kilometer underground railway section connecting Taguig City to Pasay City. The facility will feature a dedicated underground station constructed directly beneath the open parking area of NAIA Terminal 3, spanning a total gross floor area of 19,179.50 square meters. Ridership forecasts indicate the airport station will handle approximately 70,000 passengers daily by 2035, with daily volume projected to reach 74,000 passengers by 2045.
Supported by financing from JICA, the overall 33.103-kilometer subway line carries an approved project cost of P488.48 billion. Once fully operational, the network will run 30 eight-car trainsets reaching maximum speeds of 80 kilometers per hour.
The complete subway line is scheduled to reach full operational status in the third quarter of 2031.
Upon completion, the line aims to revolutionize capital transport by reducing travel time between Valenzuela City and Pasay City from over 90 minutes to just 41 minutes.