Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the release of PHP44.17 billion to accelerate the implementation of the Metro Manila Subway Project Phase I and the North-South Commuter Railway system.
The funds were released to the Department of Transportation after the Department of Budget and Management, led by Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo, approved two Special Allotment Release Orders on March 23.
In a statement, the DBM said the allocation will cover critical loan proceeds requirements to ensure construction timelines remain on track and project momentum is sustained.
The funding will be sourced from the Unprogrammed Appropriations under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, specifically allocated for Support to Foreign-Assisted Projects. The DBM said this mechanism enables the continued implementation of infrastructure projects once financing conditions are met.
Of the total amount, approximately PHP21.28 billion will fund portions of the subway and commuter railway projects financed through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, while the remaining PHP22.88 billion will support the railway system under its loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank.
Once completed, the Metro Manila Subway Project and the North-South Commuter Railway are expected to reduce travel time, ease congestion along major corridors, and improve mobility for millions of daily commuters.
Toledo said the fund release reflects the administration’s commitment to ensuring infrastructure investments translate into immediate public benefits.
“These are projects that Filipinos have waited decades for,” he said. “We are making sure that funding is not the bottleneck so these projects can move faster and deliver real relief to commuters.”
