₱8.17-B Japan loan boosts MRT-3 restoration

The Philippines and Japan on Wednesday signed diplomatic notes for an ₱8.1758-billion (approximately ¥21.634 billion) second supplemental loan to fund the rehabilitation of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), reinforcing bilateral cooperation on transport infrastructure.

Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Kazuya Endo, Ambassador of Japan, signed and exchanged the diplomatic notes at the Department of Foreign Affairs on Feb. 4.

Officials from the Department of Transportation, Department of Finance, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were also present.

The loan, extended by the Government of Japan through JICA, will support works targeted for completion by October 2029.

Secretary Lazaro said the project “builds on the strong foundation of our existing cooperation with Japan,” and “reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that public transport systems are safe, reliable, and resilient.”

She added that the project supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s agenda of enhancing MRT services under the Build Better More infrastructure program.

The rehabilitation covers restoring MRT-3 to its original as-designed condition, upgrading critical components to ensure high-grade infrastructure performance, and enabling future capacity expansion.