Deal signed to let DOTr use DND lands for Metro Manila subway project

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of National Defense (DND) has agreed to the use of some of its real estate properties for the Metro Manila Subway Project.

The DND and Department of Transportation (DOTr) entered into an agreement to give the first phase of the project, one of the Duterte administration’s most ambitious, right-of-way use. The agreement was signed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.

The DND properties would be used for “designs and convenient access points” to subway stations, terminal interchange plazas and access to different DND camps and bases.

The DND properties that were covered by the agreement were:

• Veterans Memorial Center for the subway’s North Avenue station
• V. Luna Hospital for the East Avenue station
• Camp Aguinaldo for the Camp Aguinaldo station
• Philippine Army for a connection between Lawton and Senate-Department of Education (DepEd) stations
• Villamor Air Base for a connection between the Senate-DepEd and FTI-NAIA Terminal 3 stations

Three out of 17 subway stations will be located near or on the DND properties, according to a statement released by the DOTr.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the agreement will also allow a “fair and recurring source of resources for the betterment and upliftment of our heroes in the armed forces.”

The DOTr, Batan said, will “replicate” DND and military structures and facilities that would be demolished during the subway construction. These included 192 armed forces housing units in Camp Aguinaldo, the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters. It will also include “replication and improvement” of facilities at the Veterans Golf Course that would have to give way to the subway project.

In the long term, Batan said the DOTr would pay the DND a recurring usufruct fee, similar to rental, equivalent to 10 percent of the properties’ “latest zonal value” and 5 percent of income generated by subway facilities that would be built on the DND properties.

This would “ensure that the subway is developed in a manner that maximizes connectivity to government properties,” Batan said.

The planned Metro Manila Subway is estimated to cost at least P357 billion and will run from Valenzuela City to the NAIA Terminal 3 and FTI complex. It will have at least 17 stations.

TSB