The Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) has approved funding for feasibility studies for two proposed regional rail projects in the Philippines. Both the Mindanao Railway Project Phase 3 and the San Mateo Railway Project have secured PHP100 million each. The studies will determine the most suitable alignment and number of stations among other deliverables.

Once the studies are completed, they will be submitted to the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee for approval to implement the projects under a PPP model.

The 54.8-km-long Mindanao Railway Project Phase 3 is part of the 1,544-km-long Mindanao Railway System and will link Laguindingan and Villanueva in Misamis Oriental. Meanwhile, the San Mateo Railway Project includes the construction of a 17-km-long feeder railway line connecting Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT 2) to San Mateo and Rodriguez in Rizal. The line is expected to have six stations.

The PDMF is managed by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Centre of the Philippines to finance key infrastructure projects.