Manila metro project stalls amid land dispute

According to a recent report from Philippine Infradev Holdings, the company has initiated arbitration proceedings after the cancellation of the Makati metro project, which spans 11 kilometers in Manila.

this legal action, filed with the Singapore International Arbitration Center, follows an announcement made in early May where it was stated that the project was deemed ‘not economically and operationally feasible’. This decision arose from a land dispute with a local council that restricted access to essential areas for construction, including planned stations and depots.

The enterprising US$1.3 billion initiative was set up through a public-private partnership (PPP) between Philippine infradev Holdings and Makati City. The crux of the land dispute revolved around whether certain parcels required for the metro were actually part of Taguig district rather of Makati.

Civil works contracts for this metro line were awarded back in September 2020, with projections estimating daily ridership at around 700,000. Local leaders are actively advocating for solutions to this deadlock, emphasizing how crucial a metro line is to alleviating severe traffic congestion in Makati—a key business hub within Manila’s vast urban landscape.