MANILA – The Philippines and Japan signed new loans to support the Metro Manila Subway and the Cagayan de Oro-Malaybalay Highway projects.

In a ceremony in Pasay City, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya exchanged notes releasing PHP85.45 billion for the two infrastructure initiatives.

The fourth tranche loan for Phase 1 of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP 1) totals 220 billion Japanese yen (around PHP84.81 billion), while the Central Mindanao Highway program received 1.672 billion Japanese yen (roughly PHP644 million).

“Supporting the Philippines’ development is not only vital for the country itself, but also for the stability and prosperity of the wider region,” Endo said.

“Japan remains firmly committed to continuing its cooperation. While our security cooperation is growing rapidly, development cooperation remains the cornerstone of Japan-Philippines relationship.”

Lazaro thanked Japan for its support, saying the projects, key programs under the Build Better More initiative of the Marcos administration, reflect efforts to “make progress felt by our people.”

“Growth must be both efficient and inclusive. We must ease congestion and improve integration where economic activity is concentrated and strengthen connectivity in areas where potential is still being unlocked,” she said.

Phase 1 of the Metro Manila Subway involves building a 27.5-kilometer subway line from Valenzuela to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 via Bicutan. The phase also includes installing a 33.1-km electromechanical system, integration with the North-South Commuter Railway from Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to Bicutan, constructing 17 stations and a depot, and procuring 30 train sets.

The Central Mindanao Highway loan covers engineering services for the highway connecting Cagayan de Oro and Malaybalay, aiming to cut travel time from 6.5 hours to 3.5 hours.

Set to run from 2026 to 2034, the project will construct about 64.7 kilometers of four-lane road across Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon, including Tagoloan, Cagayan de Oro, Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Impasugong, and Malaybalay. It will also include 47 bridges, nine of which are special long-span bridges with main spans exceeding 100 meters.