The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed 67.5-kilometer subway rail system in Cebu province.
At the same time, DOTr is seeking approval to proceed with the Manila Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake (MAPALLA) ferry system project this year.
The Cebu subway, called Metro Cebu UMRT Central Line, was conceived as part of DOTr’s masterplan for the province to decongest its roads and encourage the use of public transport, said Timothy John Batan, DOTr undersecretary for planning and project development.
DOTr’s discussion with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and the provincial government for the construction of a Cebu subway started in 2024.
Under the Cebu masterplan, the subway will have roughly 60 to 65 km of rail line from Danao City to Carcar City.
“One of the directions we are taking is the involvement of the provincial government of Cebu so that it can be compatible and appropriate to the needs of the people of Cebu,” Batan said in Filipino over DOTr’s radio program “Sakay Na!” on Radyo Pilipinas on Wednesday.
Unlike in Metro Manila, Batan explained, Cebu province has narrow roads, making the construction of an elevated rail line not feasible.
“Unfortunately, when we looked at Cebu, there is no long and wide road where we can build an elevated railway,” he said.
Batan said DOTr will have to conduct a demand study to determine the number of passengers the subway can accommodate.
“We will start a demand or ridership study so that we can estimate how many will be the ridership of the Cebu subway,” he said.
Meanwhile, the approval of the MAPALLA Ferry System Project is expected to be granted soon, with its feasibility study anticipated to be completed by mid-2025.
“We see that the feasibility study will be completed by the first half of this year. We expect that by the middle of 2025 we will get approval for this project,” Batan said during the radio interview.
He said DOTr is working alongside the Public Private Partnership Center for the MAPALLA Ferry System, which will provide commuters an additional and efficient transit system by utilizing the arterial rivers of Pasig and Marikina as well as Manila and Laguna Bay.
The project’s first phase will cover a 30-kilometer stretch of the Marikina River and Pasig River and will have at least 32 ferry stations, Batan said.