THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have partnered with the British Embassy in Manila in advancing sustainable urban development, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said on Thursday.
The partnership was reached after the completion of the feasibility study for the proposed Senate-DepEd Transit-Oriented Development (SEED TOD) Project was turned over during the United Kingdom’s Infrastructure Projects Handover ceremony last week, Lopez said.
The initiative aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for the DOTr to embed TOD principles across major transport infrastructure projects with the primary goal of creating a public transportation system that is “more efficient, accessible and responsive to the needs of commuters,” Lopez said.
Envisioned as a 13-hectare complex in Taguig City at the junction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), the SEED TOD aims to seamlessly integrate public transport with government offices, commercial establishments, community facilities and open green spaces.
During the handover, DOTr Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Teodorico Jose Delfin, who read Lopez’s message, said that commuter-centric and pedestrian-friendly policies remain at the heart of the department’s infrastructure vision.
“The SEED Project exemplifies what this vision looks like at ground level. In Taguig, a 13-hectare complex will demonstrate how education, residential and commercial spaces can coexist around transit modes — creating an environment where students spend less time commuting and more time studying, where families have genuine mobility choices and where the city itself becomes more livable and sustainable,” Delfin quoted Lopez as saying.
ARLIE CALALO
Conceived as a transformative hub for education and research, the SEED TOD will host leading academic institutions while offering approximately 497,663 square meters of gross floor area dedicated to commercial, cultural, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), as well as community uses.
Designed with a car-free core, 59 percent of the site is reserved for publicly accessible pedestrian zones, featuring covered walkways and elevated high-walks built above 50-year flood levels to ensure climate resilience, the transport agency said.
The feasibility study also proposes significantly improved connectivity between the NSCR and MMSP, reducing the transfer distance from 900 meters to just 200 meters — cutting travel time by about 17 minutes and enhancing safety and convenience for commuters.
Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan noted the project’s broader economic and social benefits.
“By strengthening links among rail, bus, walking and cycling networks, this study has made substantial improvements in connectivity, including shorter interchange times between the two railway systems,” he said.
The feasibility study, which commenced in November 2024, was funded by the United Kingdom.
DepEd, as the project’s major landowner and co-grantor with the DOTr, emphasized the initiative’s transformative potential for learners.
DepEd Undersecretary Mel John Versoza delivered a message on behalf of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who reiterated the department’s commitment to creating greener, more livable learning environments.
The SEED TOD Project marks a key step toward reshaping Metro Manila’s urban landscape, demonstrating how thoughtful infrastructure planning can foster economic growth, environmental sustainability and improved quality of life for all Filipinos, the top government officials said.
