On Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, along with the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), launched partial operations of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, marking a significant milestone in the country’s transportation infrastructure. The Phase 1 extension, a key project under the Marcos administration, is designed to ease traffic congestion and enhance mobility for residents in southern Metro Manila.
The new extension is expected to reduce travel time from Parañaque City to Quezon City by nearly an hour and will add 80,000 passengers to LRT-1’s daily ridership of 323,000. The expansion also adds five new stations—Redemptorist-ASEANA, MIA Road, PITX, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, and Dr. Santos (formerly Sucat)—to the line, which now spans 26 kilometers.
Secretary Bautista called the partial opening an “early Christmas gift” for passengers, especially in light of the upcoming holiday rush. Once fully operational, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension will shorten the commute from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite to just 25 minutes, a significant improvement in public transport connectivity.
The project, partly funded by a soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), also aims to support local economic development by fostering opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region. JICA Philippines Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema expressed his commitment to supporting the Philippine government’s vision for a modern, safe, and sustainable railway system, emphasizing its potential to drive regional development and job creation.
