SONA 2026: Marcos pushes transport expansion amid rising oil prices

MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said the government is prioritizing the expansion of the country’s rail, bus, and terminal networks as more Filipinos rely on public transportation amid rising oil prices.

During his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, Marcos said the government will focus on improving trains, busways, transport hubs, and integrated terminals, as well as upgrading and expanding airports and seaports nationwide.

He said these projects aim to widen public transport access, increase capacity, and modernize transportation services across the country.

“With the oil price increase we have witnessed, many of our countrymen have relied on public transportation,” Marcos said.

The President announced that the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is expected to begin partial operations next year, with trains running between Valenzuela City and Malolos, Bulacan. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is targeting the completion of the railway line up to Clark, Pampanga, by the end of his administration’s term.

Marcos also said that 12 stations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) are scheduled to open next year.

The MRT-7, which will be the first major addition to Metro Manila’s rail network in nearly three decades, will initially run from North Avenue to Sacred Heart in Quezon City before eventually extending to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The line is expected to serve around one million passengers daily.

Marcos credited the faster implementation of these infrastructure projects to the recently enacted Accelerated and Reformed Right of Way Act, which helps address delays caused by right-of-way concerns.

“Thanks to the recently enacted Accelerated and Reformed Right of Way Act, right-of-way issues are now quickly resolved, removing the biggest chokepoint in our mass transit development program,” Marcos said.

The President also provided updates on the government’s bus rapid transit (BRT) projects, noting that the first phase of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system is already operational, while the Ilocos Norte BRT is scheduled for inauguration next year. (PNA) -Philippine News Agency