Makati Mayor Abby Binay on Thursday, August 23, announced that the city’s $3.7-billion intra-city subway project is set to break ground in December. This subway system, which is expected to be completed by 2025, will help decongest traffic in one of Metro Manila’s main business and financial districts.
According to Binay, the planned Makati subway can accommodate 700,000 passengers daily. It will also link the key points in the city — connecting business districts along Ayala Avenue, Makati City Hall, Poblacion Heritage Site, University of Makati, Ospital ng Makati, and other business zones in Makati.
The project is an unsolicited public-private partnership proposal between a consortium led by IRC Properties, Inc. and the city government. Binay assured that the local government will not spend anything on the multibillion-dollar project.
During a weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, the Makati City mayor said, “The city of Makati will be a beneficiary of a project which is a 10-kilometer subway system that has 10 stops (stations) that will connect the central business district all the way to the second business district. That’s for Phase 1.”
“There is phasing, but as far as phase 1 is concerned, it is a 10-kilometer subway system,” she added.
The project is currently open to a “Swiss Challenge,” or a comparative bidding process, until September 24.
