SECRETARY Giovanni Lopez said Friday that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) would welcome all efforts to increase the agency’s proposed P300.96 billion budget for 2027.
This comes as Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez suggested an additional P30 billion in funding for the DOTr during the House Committee on Appropriations meeting on Wednesday.
The supplementary allocation is intended to finance the implementation of critical infrastructure initiatives, including the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP).
The MRP Phase 1 entails the construction of a 100-kilometer commuter rail line connecting the cities of Tagum in Davao del Norte and Digos in Davao del Sur.
Once completed, the railway is expected to slash travel time between the two cities from three hours to just one hour.
“I am therefore constrained, at the proper time, to move for the approval of the DOTr’s budget — especially since there are many projects that remain unfunded. I would like to propose to the plenary that we grant an additional P30 billion on top of the P300 billion, as a lump sum,” Rodriguez said.
Thanking Rodriguez, Lopez said: “We must look beyond Metro Manila and ensure we have solid feasibility studies and comprehensive transportation planning in place.”
Lopez added that he and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would be visiting another country to secure funding for the MRP.
“And it’s about time we have a railway in Mindanao,” he added.
