The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is extending its rail vision beyond Metro Manila, with a Mindanao Railway System in planning, a feasibility study for a Cebu Rail Project being launched, and the MRT-4 for Eastern Metro Manila moving forward in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John “TJ” Batan said Saturday.
Batan made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 29, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the DOTr.
The railways undersecretary said the Mindanao Railway System will connect provinces and regions across the island and include connections to major ports, reflecting the DOTr’s philosophy that rail and maritime transport must be physically linked.
“Halimbawa po dito sa Mindanao, meron po tayong pinaplano na Mindanao Railway System. ‘Yan po ay aabot sa iba’t ibang probinsya at rehiyon ng Mindanao at meron din po tayong mga connection doon po sa mga major ports natin dito,” Batan said.
Batan said a feasibility study for a Cebu Rail Project is also being initiated, potentially reviving railway infrastructure on the island after decades without a dedicated rail system.
“Cebu po sa riles, meron po tayong feasibility study na uumpisahan po para sa isang Cebu Rail Project. At ‘pag ‘yan po ay natapos, tayo po ay umaasa na ma-revive po natin yung ating railway infrastructure sa Cebu,” the railways undersecretary said.
For Eastern Metro Manila, Batan said the MRT-4 will connect communities in Taytay and other parts of Rizal province to the Ortigas commercial district, addressing chronic traffic problems in areas that have long been underserved by mass transit.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez said the same connectivity philosophy that guides Metro Manila’s rail expansion—linking every station to road, maritime, and aviation transport—will be applied across Mindanao and Visayas as the DOTr builds out the national transportation network.
