NEWS

By Ellson Quismorio | September 3, 2026 08:11pm

DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez (left), House of Representatives (Facebook, MANILA BULLETIN)

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez has assured congressmen that the construction of the long-delayed Phase 2 of the Light Rail Transit (LRT)-1 Cavite Extension Project will begin within the year.

Lopez made this pronouncement during the agency’s 2027 budget hearing Thursday, Sept. 3 before the House Committee on Appropriations.

Specifically, Lopez–who led the DOTr contingent to the hearing–said that the construction would commence before the end of the year, given that it was already late in the third quarter of 2026.

The P64.9‑billion project intends to add 11.7 kilometers (km) and eight new stations from Parañaque to Bacoor, Cavite. Phase 1 (up to Dr. Santos Station in Parañaque) is already operational, but Phases 2 and 3—covering Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog stations—remain delayed due to right‑of‑way and land issues.

During the hearing, Lopez commended Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Mark Anthony Santos for his consistent and close monitoring of developments surrounding the multi-billion-peso railway project.

The neophyte solon has been pushing for the project for nearly six years, including during his previous tenure as a city councilor.

“We welcome Secretary Lopez’s commitment that construction will finally begin within the year. For the people of Las Piñas, this is more than a government project—it is a long-awaited promise of faster, safer and more reliable transportation,” Santos said.

Earlier, the planned signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) among the DOTr, Villar Group, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), which was supposed to take place late last month, got delayed.

Lopez told the House members that the signing was expected to push through this September. He said the right-of-way issue affecting the LRT-1 Cavite Extension alignment will be resolved once the MOA is signed by the concerned parties.

Santos said the repeated delays in the project have forced commuters from Las Piñas, Bacoor and other parts of Cavite to endure lengthy travel times and worsening traffic congestion.

“Our commuters have heard promises of completion for years. What they need now is not another promise but actual construction, workers on the ground and measurable progress,” Santos reckoned.

The lawmaker urged the DOTr, LRTA and LRMC to immediately resolve any remaining legal, technical, right-of-way or administrative concerns that could further delay the project.

Santos also called for close congressional and public monitoring of the project to ensure that the latest commitment will be fulfilled.

“We will hold the agencies accountable to this commitment. If construction is promised within the year, then we expect to see actual construction activities before the year ends. The people of Las Piñas deserve nothing less,” he said.

The Las Piñas solon said completing the remaining LRT-1 Cavite Extension stations, particularly Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog, would provide significant relief to commuters traveling between southern Metro Manila and Cavite.

“For years, our people have been stuck in traffic for hours just to get to work, school and home. The LRT-1 extension can dramatically change that. But its benefits will only be felt when the project is actually built and operational,” Santos said.

He urged the DOTr and other concerned agencies to maintain transparency and regularly report the project’s progress to Congress and the public.

“This project has already lost too much time. We cannot afford another round of delays. The people of Las Piñas and Cavite have waited long enough,” Santos said.

Source: Manila Bulletin