The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced plans to develop two railway systems in the Visayas—the Samar-Leyte Railway and the Panay Railway—as part of efforts to enhance regional connectivity and economic growth.
To initiate the projects, the DOTr is opening bids for consultancy contracts worth a combined P157.20 million to conduct feasibility studies. Interested consultants must submit eligibility documents by 3:00 PM on 8 September 2025, to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Secretariat in Mandaluyong City. Evaluation will follow a non-discretionary “pass/fail” system, and late submissions will not be accepted.
Each consultancy contract will run for 12 months upon issuance of a notice to proceed. The DOTr emphasized its right to cancel or reject bids at any stage without liability, in line with RA 9184.
Apart from the Visayas projects, the agency is also tendering consulting services for pre-investment studies for Metro Laoag and Metro La Union (P102.94 million) and Metro Cagayan de Oro, Metro Zamboanga, and Bohol (P183.1 million) to improve public transportation in those regions.
The DOTr is accepting requests for bidding documents from 29 August to 8 September 2025.
These initiatives are expected to significantly improve inter-island mobility, reduce travel time, and spur economic development across key regional corridors in the Philippines.
