After nearly two years of delay, construction of the Ortigas Station of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) officially began Wednesday in Pasig City.

The station will rise along Meralco Avenue and is considered one of the largest stops in the country’s first underground railway system. Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez and Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto personally inspected the site, where demolition of commercial establishments was already underway. Heavy equipment was also mobilized.

Lopez explained that although a Notice to Proceed was issued as early as October 2022, disputes over property ownership and expropriation caused significant delays. He emphasized the importance of the Ortigas Station, describing it as the second-largest facility of the MMSP and a junction where trains from Mandaluyong and Ortigas will converge.

Sotto expressed gratitude that work has finally commenced. He noted that while the project may not be completed within his term, what matters is that construction has started without further obstacles.

According to the DOTr, around 95% of right-of-way issues have already been resolved. The MMSP, which broke ground in 2019, will consist of 17 stations across a 33-kilometer railway line linking Valenzuela City to Pasay City, including a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said he hopes the subway will be partially operational by 2028.