The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is on track to implement two major projects – the country’s first cable car system in Antipolo and the Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake Ferry System (MAPALLA) – to improve mobility and connectivity in the metro.
DOTr said it is keen to roll out the Antipolo Cable Car project that will connect the Taytay station of Metro Rail Transit line 4 (MRT-4) to Antipolo City which is targeted to start operations in 2028.
“We know that Antipolo is very dense, and has lots of residents and economic activity, so it will be complementary to connect MRT-4 to Antipolo City,” Timothy John Batan, DOTr undersecretary for planning and project development, said in a statement.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding the cable car project’s pre-feasibility study which was finished earlier this year.
“The project appears viable. The next step is the detailed feasibility study which the ADB is also financing,” Batan said.
The detailed feasibility study, which will determine the project cost and its passenger capacity, is expected to commence in 2025, while the project bidding is seen to take place in 2026.
“It’s our first cable car project. We were told that it will take up to two years of construction. If we are able to award the contract in 2026, it is possible to (be operational) in 2028,” Batan said.
Meanwhile, DOTr is working alongside the Public-Private Partnership Center for the MAPALLA Ferry System which is seen to provide commuters with an additional and efficient transit system, noted Batan.
“We’re thinking of mobilizing P15 billion to P20 billion to put in a mega project (MAPALLA).
We’re thinking of an all-electric ferry fleet, multiple stations,” said Batan.
He said the ferry system will be patterned after the Chao Phraya River Ferry System in Bangkok, Thailand, and the New York Ferry System in New York City.
According to Batan, proposals to participate in the project preparation for the MAPALLA Ferry System are gaining traction.
The MAPALLA Ferry System seeks to connect the waterways of Metro Manila, Cavite and Laguna via high-capacity, high-frequency and low-carbon commuter vessels.
Through a high-capacity, high-quality mass transit ferry, the MAPALLA Ferry System will have intermodal transfers with other transit systems and active mobility networks.
Meanwhile, Jaime Bautista, transportation secretary, said apart from guaranteed mobility, DOTr’s flagship projects will support the country’s national tourism efforts.
“Improving and modernizing our transport systems will be crucial at ensuring tourists enjoy their vacations that start with travel to and from their homes,” Bautista said.
The transport chief cited projects such as the modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Laguinduingan and Bohol-Panglao airports as well as the construction of the New Manila International Airport.
DOTr is likewise modernizing land transport under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, expanding the country’s bike lanes, and the EDSA Busway.
Mega rail projects are also in full blast with the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway, added Bautista.
Seaports are also being improved to enable tourists to travel to their next destinations conveniently by sea, the agency said.
