Villar-led Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI) is proposing to extend the Light Rail Transit-1 extension program by seven additional stations going all the way to Silang, Cavite.
Manuel B. Villar Jr., the country’s richest person, said the project is doable given the family already owns the right of way (ROW) along the extension line. ROW issues have plagued the construction of the 11-kilometer elevated railway being developed by Light Rail Manila Corp. that ends at the Niog Station in Bacoor, Cavite.
He said the partnership between Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp. completing the extension line at present may find it difficult to extend it further into Cavite because of ROW issues.
“I can get the right of way since I own the land where the railway will traverse. Real estate is really important,” he said.
Villar acknowledged plans to develop the areas around the proposed stations with retail outlets.
He said were PAVI allowed to extend the rail line further, project completion should complete early as the project traverses land the family already owns.
Negotiations are ongoing for PAVI, led by Villar’s son Manuel Paolo, to acquire the extension into Cavite under a joint venture with LRMC or with a new PAVI partner.
Villar plans the extension from Niog to Government Drive and in between are stations in Nomo and the Bacoor Government Centre passing through Molino.
Given the chance, Villar plans an extension all the way to Silang, Cavite and closer to Tagaytay although this will come later as Ayala and MPIC are not keen on it.
He said the ongoing project is supposed to extend all the way to Zapote but the project might stop in Sucat, he said.
Villar noted it will be expensive for LRMC to continue and take long to complete the proposed project since they do not own land.
“If they give it up and we take over, we will extend it. But the alignment will change so we can use land we already own to reduce the need for right of way acquisition,” he said.
According to him, getting a partner should be easy with many expressing interest in pursuing the project.
The project should prove viable if PAVI is involved and everyone benefits since the LRT has potentially more passengers with the line extended or connected to the ongoing Cavite extension.
He also said PAVI already proposed the idea to the authorities which should not cost the government a single centavo “as long as they give us leeway as far as the fare is concerned.”
