Davao City
February 6, 2024

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), thru its Railways Sector, discusses various updates on the upcoming Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) Phase 1 as it holds a Town Hall Meeting in celebration of the Agency’s 125th Founding Anniversary at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City on February 6, 2024.

Considered one of the landmark projects under the ‘Build Better More’ program of the Administration, the MRP Phase 1 or the Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment is a commuter rail line with a route length of 100.20 kilometers consisting of eight (8) stations. The project traverses the Provinces of Davao Del Norte and Davao Del Sur, which is expected to cater to 122,000 passengers daily once finished.

In his speech, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista underscores the vital role of the project in providing convenient and comfortable commuting experience for Filipinos as the government reassures its unyielding commitment to strengthen the transportation system across the country.

“The Mindanao Railway Project or MRP represents government’s first serious attempt to establish infrastructure in Mindanao to address connectivity and mobility outside Luzon,” he says.

“These projects will not only provide convenient and comfortable public transport but also generate job and livelihood opportunities for families… We want to share this vision that is effective, open and responsive to Filipinos’ mobility needs,” the Secretary adds.

MRP Phase 1 is the first part of the ambitious 1,544-kilometer Mindanao Railway Network that will concretize the master rail plan connecting the entire Island of Mindanao. The DOTr and its partners have started feasibility studies to proceed with the other phases of the project. This railway network project aims to connect the cities of Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao and Malaybalay.

“Planning and implementing transport infrastructure should not be the sole responsibility of the Department of Transportation. Every commuter, each passenger is a stakeholder in these transport projects,” Secretary Bautista encourages, noting the crucial participation of Filipinos in making the MRP more effective and a success.

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