THE multibillion-peso LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project may not be completed before the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s term in June 2028 due to unresolved right-of-way (ROW) issues, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said, citing information relayed to him by a government official.
Santos noted that despite President Marcos’ directive to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to immediately resolve the bottlenecks affecting the project, the proposed Right-of-Way Usage Agreement (ROWUA) with the Villar Group remains unsigned, continuing to delay implementation.
Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Atty. Hernando Cabrera confirmed that although the Villar Group had offered to provide the land needed for the Las Piñas Station at no cost, the commitment has yet to be formalized.
“Until today, the proposal remains unfulfilled because the Villar Group has yet to execute the required ROWUA,” Cabrera said.
He disclosed that despite a series of technical meetings involving the DOTr, LRTA, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), the project’s private concessionaire, and representatives of the Villar Group from September 2021 to June 2025, the proposed agreement remains unsigned.
The LRMC has maintained that construction of Phase 2 cannot proceed until the government secures 100 percent of the required right-of-way. They promised that once the entire right-of-way is turned over, construction can begin immediately and the remaining phase can be completed within three to four years, with full project completion targeted by 2031.
According to Cabrera, the government’s approval of the revised 2025 station alignment was based on the Villar Group’s representation that the property would be made available free of charge.
“The government has already spent considerable time and resources redesigning the project based on the approved 2025 alignment. What we need now is the formal execution of the agreement so construction can finally proceed,” Cabrera said in a radio interview.
Santos said Cabrera’s action came after he wrote President Marcos urging immediate intervention to address the decades-long delay of the railway project.
The lawmaker stressed that accountability should be pursued if evidence shows that any party’s actions or inaction contributed to the prolonged delay.
“Is the Villar Group disregarding the President’s directive and causing further delays to a flagship government infrastructure project? It appears to be a delaying tactic,” Santos said. “Where have you ever seen a private businessman offer to donate land to the government, only to later expect the government to pay for it?”
Cabrera warned that the continued failure to execute the ROWUA has stalled Phase 2 of the ₱64.915-billion LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, which covers the Las Piñas and Zapote stations.
He said that if the agreement is not finalized, the government may have to revert to the previously approved 2022 alignment, requiring another round of redesigns, feasibility studies, and technical assessments that would result in additional costs and further delays.
“We cannot allow this project to be held back any longer. The welfare of the riding public must come first,” Cabrera said.
Cabrera also disclosed that the C-5 Quirino Flyover, constructed during the tenure of then DPWH Secretary and now Senator Mark Villar, now physically obstructs the railway’s original alignment and occupies the space intended for the LRT-1 tracks.
He likewise noted that Mark Villar served as an ex officio member of the LRTA Board during his time as DPWH secretary.
Malacañang, for its part, maintained that the government is not responsible for the delays in the implementation of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project.
