Mindanao Railway Project on track, says DOTR

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DOTR) said the Mindanao Railway Project will continue without delays even with the removal of one of its top executive by President Rodrigo Duterte recently due to questionable dealings and involving members of the First Family with matters regarding the railway project.

Duterte fired DOTR Assistant Secretary Mark Tolentino.

“We assure the public that the Mindanao Railway Project will be done with no corruption, in accordance with rightful processes and no delays while ensuring its quality,” DOTR Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said, adding, the railway project would be operational by 2021.

DOTR said the Mindanao Railway Project was approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board in June last year after it was first funded in 1957.

The DOTR said it already achieved what has not been done in the last six decades - to go beyond repeated studies and to get investment approval, and to swiftly advance the design process for Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway Project which involves the construction of a 105 kilometer Tagum-davao-digos segment.

Once it is completed in 2021, it is expected to reduce travel time from Tagum City in Davao del Norte province to Digos City in Davao del Sur province from 3.5 hours to one hour and 20 minutes.

The proposed 2,000kilometer railway project is envisioned to connect key Mindanao cities including Davao, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and General Santos to spur economic development in the region.