Johnny Pimentel HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FACEBOOK PAGE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Sunday urged Finance secretary Ralph Recto to visit Japan and seek funding for the delayed Mindanao Railway Project (MRP).
According to Pimentel, the Japanese government may consider funding the MRP, since “Tokyo is very interested in promoting peace and development in Mindanao,” he said.
The representative from Mindanao cited Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s statement during the foreign leader’s visit in November last year, where he emphasized Mindanao’s importance in Tokyo’s vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
READ: Japan PM Kishida pushes for ‘free, open Indo-Pacific’ in visit to PH
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is already providing the Philippine government funding for its railway projects in Luzon.
“We do not want Mindanao to be left behind in the government’s railway infrastructure development plan,” Pimentel, who is a member of the House committee on flagship programs and projects, was quoted as saying in a statement.
“We would urge the Finance Secretary to consider visiting Tokyo, for the purpose of seeking additional official development assistance (ODA) from Japan, this time for the MRP,” he added.
READ: DOTr: Mindanao Railway Project to push through
Backed out
The MRP had recently hit a snag when the Philippine government backed out of loan negotiations with China in October of last year.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), however, said in February 2024 that the government would push through with the MRP despite its lack of funding, saying that it will continue the project’s pre-construction activities including land acquisition.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, on the other hand, encouraged the DOTr and the finance department to look for funding sources for the MRP.
Before it got deferred, the project’s Phase 1 alone was projected to cost P83 billion.
Mindanao Railway Project
Phase 1 of the MRP will involve constructing a 102-kilometer train line that connects the provincial capitals of Davao del Norte, Tagum City, and Davao del Sur, Digos City.
READ: Study on Mindanao Railway dev’t underway
This train line will pass through Davao City, also in Davao del Sur, significantly reducing travel time between Tagum and Digos from three hours to just one hour.
During its first year of operation, Phase 1 is expected to serve 122,000 commuters daily.
The complete MRP will eventually span 1,544 kilometers, extending to cities such as General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, and Malaybalay.
“The MRP will surely drive Mindanao’s economic and jobs growth in a big way. The project will help fight unemployment and poverty – conditions that have bred instability,” Pimentel’s statement continued.