LAS Piñas Lone District Rep. Mark Anthony Santos welcomed today Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez’s assurance that construction of the long-delayed LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project will begin within the year, saying it offers hope to thousands of commuters who have waited years for the project.
Lopez gave the assurance during the DOTr budget hearing today, telling lawmakers that construction of the long-delayed LRT-1 Cavite Extension will commence before the end of the year.
During the hearing, Lopez also commended Santos for his consistent and close monitoring of developments surrounding the multi-billion-peso railway project, which the lawmaker has been pushing and monitoring for nearly six years, including during his previous tenure as a city councilor.
“We welcome Secretary Lopez’s commitment that construction will finally begin within the year. For the people of Las Piñas, this is more than a government project—it is a long-awaited promise of faster, safer and more reliable transportation,” Santos said.
The planned signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among the DOTr, Villar Group, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), which was expected to take place during the last week of August, was delayed once again.
However, Lopez assured lawmakers that the signing is expected to push through this September. He said the right-of-way issue affecting the LRT-1 Cavite Extension alignment will be resolved once the MOA is signed by the concerned parties.
The development comes amid an investigation ordered by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla into allegations that Villar siblings senator Mark and Camille Villar were blocking the construction of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project.
Santos said the repeated delays in the project have forced commuters from Las Piñas, Bacoor and other parts of Cavite to endure lengthy travel times and worsening traffic congestion.
Phase 1 of the extension project is already commercially operational, connecting Baclaran Station in Pasay City to Dr. Santos Station in Parañaque City. The remaining Cavite leg, covering Phases 2 and 3, includes the three stations that have yet to be constructed—Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog.
“Our commuters have heard promises of completion for years. What they need now is not another promise but actual construction, workers on the ground and measurable progress,” Santos said.
The lawmaker urged the DOTr, LRTA and LRMC to immediately resolve any remaining legal, technical, right-of-way or administrative concerns that could further delay the project.
Santos also called for close congressional and public monitoring of the project to ensure that the latest commitment will be fulfilled.
“We will hold the agencies accountable to this commitment. If construction is promised within the year, then we expect to see actual construction activities before the year ends. The people of Las Piñas deserve nothing less,” he said.
The Las Piñas solon said completing the remaining LRT-1 Cavite Extension stations, particularly Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog, would provide significant relief to commuters traveling between southern Metro Manila and Cavite.
“For years, our people have been stuck in traffic for hours just to get to work, school and home. The LRT-1 extension can dramatically change that. But its benefits will only be felt when the project is actually built and operational,” Santos said.
He urged the DOTr and other concerned agencies to maintain transparency and regularly report the project’s progress to Congress and the public.
“This project has already lost too much time. We cannot afford another round of delays. The people of Las Piñas and Cavite have waited long enough. Now, we need to see construction begin and this long-delayed project finally move forward,” Santos said.
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