The Philippines and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reaffirmed their strong partnership in delivering the country’s big-ticket infrastructure projects as they jointly inspected the Malolos-Clark Railway Project (MCRP) to ensure that its benefits will be enjoyed by the Filipino people at the soonest possible time.
Since 2024, the Department of Finance (DOF), led by Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, has been inspecting big-ticket official development assistance (ODA) projects to strengthen oversight and keep implementation on track. This thus far includes the Metro Manila Subway, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, and the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project
“More than site inspections, every time we go out and see the projects by ourselves is a renewed affirmation of a vision we all share: a Philippines that connects our people better and creates more opportunities for them. And this is possible because we have partners who believe in our future as much as we do,” the Finance Chief said in his remarks during the site visit at the MCRP Depot in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, on September 29, 2025.
The 52.65-kilometer (km) MCRP is one segment of the bigger 147.26-km North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System Project, which will span 35 stations and two train service types, connecting the National Capital Region (NCR), Region III, and Region IV-A.
With a total project cost of PHP873.6 billion, the NSCR System is the largest infrastructure project financed by the ADB in the Philippines and the entire Asia-Pacific region to date. It is being co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“That scale alone speaks volumes of the trust and confidence the ADB has in our country and in the Filipino people’s future,” Secretary Recto stressed.
Specifically, the MCRP segment will connect Malolos, Bulacan, and Clark, Pampanga, through the construction of a commuter line and an airport express railway between Malolos and Clark Green City through the Clark International Airport. It is designed to serve New Clark City’s estimated future population of 1.2 million.
As of June 2025, the MCRP is already 42.4 percent complete. Once operational by 2028, it is expected to reduce the almost three-hour bus ride between Malolos and Clark to just an hour by train.
Secretary Recto underscored that the project has already been fueling the economy, as over 10,000 direct jobs have been created during the construction phase.
Another segment of the NSCR System supported by the ADB is the 56.86-km South Commuter Railway Project (SCRP) connecting Manila to Calamba. Once operational, it is expected to cut travel time from up to 2 hours by bus to just 45 minutes by train.
Taken as a whole, the NSCR System Project will carry 800,000 passengers per day on full operations and generate 350,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs for Filipinos.
“This project is nothing less than a genuine economic transformation,” the Finance Chief said.
“It is the backbone of the Luzon Economic Corridor, accelerating trade and investment, not just in big cities, but across the growth centers in between. This will be one of our main vehicles to lift more Filipinos out of poverty,” he added.
Secretary Recto vowed to safeguard the ADB’s trust with accountability and good governance, citing that the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is a long-term guarantee that every project built will endure, be protected, and delivered for generations to come.
“This is proof of how serious the President is in protecting all our investments,” he emphasized.
Following the site visit, Secretary Recto held a courtesy meeting with the ADB officials led by Vice President of East and Southeast Asia and Pacific Scott Morris, Deputy Director General of Southeast Asia Department Pavit Ramachandran, and newly-appointed Country Director Andrew Jeffries at the ADB Clark Office.
Country Director Jeffries described the Philippines as a “particularly special and important relationship,” underscoring the ADB’s confidence in the country as a committed and reliable partner.
Beyond infrastructure, the ADB also conveyed its strong support for expanding cooperation in education, health, agriculture, energy, and digitalization.
The ADB is the Philippines’ second-largest ODA partner, accounting for USD 10.40 billion (approximately PHP 605.88 billion) or 28.70 percent of total ODA financing as of March 2025.
A total of 25 projects under the Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) are and will be funded by the ADB to support the Build, Better, More Program.
These projects include the Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge Project, the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, and the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project, among others.
