The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to finalize by 2027 the bidding mode for the privatization of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3)’s operations and maintenance (O&M) contract.
Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency is considering either a solicited or unsolicited mode, with a final decision expected by April or August 2027. An unsolicited proposal has already been submitted, though the proponent remains unnamed.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), serving as DOTr’s transaction advisor, is currently evaluating both options.
Meanwhile, the DOTr earlier extended the maintenance contract of Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. for MRT-3 until July 2026. The P7.38-billion contract, signed in May 2023, expanded Sumitomo’s scope to include work on the common station and increasing train capacity.
The MRT-3’s assets were officially transferred to full government ownership on July 15, 2025, following the expiration of the build-lease-transfer (BLT) agreement with Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC), led by businessman Robert John Sobrepeña. MRTC, formed in 1995, designed and built the line, which began full operations in July 2000.
