VICE President Sara Duterte expressed her disappointment during an interview in Butuan City over the stalled Mindanao Railway Project (MRP), citing its "zero budget" allocation under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Duterte, the country’s second-highest official, emphasized that her campaign for the vice presidency in 2022 was anchored on continuing the "Build Build Build" program initiated by her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
"Yan din ang kinakasama ng loob ko dahil I ran on the platform of continuity and unity, particularly the 'Build Build Build' program of the previous administration of President Duterte (I feel bad about that because I ran on the platform of continuity and unity, particularly the 'Build Build, Build' program of the previous administration of President Duterte)," he stated on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
She lamented the lack of financial support for other major infrastructure projects in the country, not just the MRP.
"In fact, hindi lang 'yung Mindanao Railway ang unappropriated ang Philippine government part na mga obligations. Mayroon pang ibang mga projects na ganu'n rin hanggang ngayon. Kaya masakit. Masakit sa loob ko dahil napakalaking tulong niyan, hindi lang sa Mindanao, lahat ng mga projects sa buong bansa (In fact, the Mindanao Railway is not the only project where the Philippine government has unfulfilled obligations. There are other projects in the same situation even now. It’s painful. It hurts me deeply because these projects would provide significant help, not just in Mindanao but across the entire country)," Duterte said.
Her comments came a day after the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) failed to secure funding during the 2025 proposed budget hearing for Mindanao on November 19.
During the 1st Mindanao Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) Conference held at D'Leonor Inland Resort & Adventure on November 20, MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno revealed plans to leverage Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to expedite the project.
“Yung Mindanao Railway Project, may lumabas na naman sa news na hindi itutuloy, sana naman ayusin ang pagbabalita. Hindi naman, ito itutuloy at nag-anunsyo na ang Department of Transportation, and by December, we are bidding out in terms of reference (Several news reports claimed the Mindanao Railway Project would not continue. That’s not true—it will proceed, and the Department of Transportation has announced that bidding for the terms of reference will begin by December). There are private groups who would like to partner with us in the government in constructing the railway,” Magno said.
He added that private organizations want to partner with the government to construct the railway. The PPP framework would allow the private sector to assist in designing, funding, building, and operating the Mindanao railway network.
Due to a lack of progress, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is currently exploring PPP options after halting negotiations with China for official development assistance (ODA). The shift could be critical in ensuring the MRP and other railway projects move forward without further delays. DEF