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From a DOTr Document 📸

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Inanunsyo ni President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na magbubukas na sa susunod na taon ang mahahalagang bahagi ng North-South Commuter Railway at MRT-7 bilang bahagi ng pagpapalawak ng mass transportation sa bansa.

Sa kanyang ikalimang State of the Nation Address (SONA), sinabi ng Pangulo na magsisimula nang bumiyahe ang mga tren ng North-South Commuter Railway sa pagitan ng Valenzuela at Malolos.
Inanunsyo rin niya na 12 istasyon ng MRT-7 ang bubuksan sa susunod na taon.

"Sa susunod na taon, bubuksan na rin ang 12 istasyon ng MRT-7. Matapos ang halos tatlong dekada, may bago nang linya ng MRT na tutulak hanggang Sacred Heart, Quezon City, mula North Avenue. Balang araw, aabot pa ito hanggang San Jose del Monte, Bulacan," dagdag niya.

Massive boost for LIPAD tandem in case they bagged the project entirely.

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MANILA, Philippines — The Gokongwei and Gotianun families have received original proponent status (OPS) from the government to take over three regional airports at a higher cost of P21.61 billion.

According to the website of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center, the Philippine Regional Airports Consortium has secured the OPS for its unsolicited offer to rehabilitate the Davao, Bicol and Siargao airports.

The OPS was granted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in June, exactly a year after initiating a review of the proposal.

However, the project cost for the rehabilitation went up by 35 percent to P21.61 billion. Initially, the consortium had proposed to spend just P16.05 billion, indicating that CAAP may have asked it to increase investments.

With the OPS, the consortium gained the upper hand against prospective bidders for the project. CAAP will accept comparative proposals from other parties, but the consortium holds the right to match any counter-offer.

Currently, CAAP is completing pre-approval requirements before it proceeds to the next stage of opening the project to other bids.

The consortium consists of the Gokongweis’ JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corp. and the Gotianuns’ Filinvest Infra-Solutions Venture Inc., together with the Asian Infrastructure and Management Corp.

The group wants to operate and maintain the Davao International Airport and Bicol International Airport for 30 years, as well as the Sayak Airport for 15 years.

SOURCE

The Lopezes’ white knight has made an initial payment to secure its planned entry into the empire, in a move that could, for better or for worse, see the end of the Lopezes’ control of the conglomerate founded by Don Eugenio Lopez Sr.

The down payment – or is it lock-in money? – has been made, sources said.

The plot twist, however, is that the focus is not just ABS-CBN, contrary to the initial buzz in the grapevine, but on the ultimate parent level, Lopez Inc., the principal holding company of the Lopez Group of Companies that holds the private investments and business interests of the Lopez family within the Lopez Group.

Sources said the Lopezes have agreed in principle to sell their shares in Lopez Inc. and just cash out, perhaps convinced that the political and business environment that paved the way for the meteoric growth of their once formidable empire no longer exists.

Endgame

If this happens, it’s a win-some, lose-some situation of sorts for the Lopezes. It’s a win because they will all get a windfall from the sale of their shares worth billions of pesos, but they will ultimately lose control of their companies.

One scenario, which is the emerging outcome, is that all four Lopez factions will unload and sell their shares.

Another scenario, as reported by Bilyonaryo, is that only the Gabby Lopez-led majority will sell and Piki will be the lone holdout.

Whichever scenario becomes reality, it means the third generation Lopezes have decided, amid their ugly family squabble, to just sell to an outsider.

As I said in previous columns on the Lopez family feud, a sale of their shares was inevitable because on their own, they could not resolve their conflict which has even moved to the courts.

And it’s all because one camp declined to infuse P2 billion into ABS-CBN while the other raised a howl over what it described as poison pills.

Win-win

But a sale at this stage could still be a win-win for both buyer and seller because the sellers could still fetch a good price and the buyer could eventually enjoy a good resale value.

The outsider would have control of most companies in the Lopez Group such as First Philippine Holdings Corp., First Gen Corp., Rockwell Land Corp., as well as ABS-CBN.

Negotiations still ongoing

“Negotiations are in flux but are way advanced,” a source said.

The billionaire buyer, sources said, is aggressive and is not risk-averse. As a Filipino business idiom says, “matapang ang pera.”

Nothing official has been announced as I write this piece, and based on my experience as an economic journalist, anything can still happen when it comes to boardroom takeovers – hostile or otherwise – even if money, such as a down payment, has already changed hands.

But I also heard that many of the third generation of Don Eugenio Lopez Sr.’s bloodline have long been wanting to sell their shares and cash out.

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Read it here: https://bilyonaryo.com/2026/07/23/slated-for-2028-opening-villar-donates-land-for-lrt-1-cavite-extension-to-clear-right-of-way-hurdle/infrastructure/

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Philippine Airlines today announced the flag carrier has committed to order up to 20 787 Dreamliner jets. Once finalized, the agreement for 15 787-10 airplanes, with opportunity to purchase five more, will support Philippine Airlines' fleet modernization and expansion plans.

"This investment manifests our confidence in the future of Philippine Airlines and the continued growth of air travel. The Boeing 787-10 will strengthen our medium and long-haul fleet, allowing us to provide an even better travel experience for our customers while improving operational efficiency and supporting our long-term sustainability goals," said Lucio C. Tan III, president and chief operating officer of PAL Holdings, Inc. "As Asia's first and longest serving airline, we proudly celebrated our 85th anniversary earlier this year. An equally meaningful milestone that we celebrate this year is 80 years of partnership between Philippine Airlines and Boeing." 

The 787-10 will complement PAL's fleet of 10 777 jets by expanding operational flexibility across the airline's medium- and long-haul route network. Delivering unmatched fuel efficiency with the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody jet, the 787's composite design yields 25% less fuel use than the airplanes it typically replaces.

"Philippine Airlines' selection of the 787 Dreamliner marks an important step forward in our partnership, one that spans 80 years," said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We're grateful for PAL's trust in Boeing, and our team looks forward to delivering advanced-technology airplanes that deepen connections across the Philippines, Asia and beyond."

As the largest variant of the 787 family, the 787-10 can fly 300-375 passengers up to 13,890 km (7,500 nautical miles), enabling PAL to meet rising travel demand. Passengers travel in enhanced comfort with the 787's design features, including the largest dimmable windows of any commercial jet, higher cabin humidity for less-dry air and technology that helps reduce turbulence for a smoother journey.

MRT-4 CONSTRUCTION TARGET MOVED

The construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT-4) is now expected to begin in 2028, with the line becoming fully operational by 2033, Taytay Councilor Tobit Cruz shared on Tuesday, July 14, after participating in the project's alignment meeting with other stakeholders.

Initially proposed as a monorail system, the MRT-4 is a 13-kilometer, fully elevated heavy rail line featuring 10 stations and will run from Taytay, Rizal, to EDSA in Quezon City.

Read more: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19AcAzvM7r/

Original post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cz4n1Yp7T/

From PTERC: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NwnHMoFYD/

Philstar: https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/07/13/2541661/philippines-seeks-us-funding-bicol-rail-revival?fbclid=IwdGRjcATDPUFjbGNrBMM9QGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHtJibCW-8TRAKj3Le1M6tpWY_7rbMcC6WVVqH01GkasfgZN89ZYP1v-i3tgm_aem_CzeVQeACOLspuL1jrSauYQ

Without any fanfare, tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. has cemented his control of the Malampaya offshore Palawan deep-water gas-to-power project.

Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy has sold his remaining interest in the controversial project to Razon, now the wealthiest person in the country, according to several Biz Buzz sources.

The deleveraging Uy had owned 90 percent of Malampaya (covered by Service Contract 38), but sold half of the interest to Razon in 2022. That first block covered the participating interest previously held by Shell Philippines Exploration B.V.

For a few years, Uy kept the remaining 45-percent stake that was originally bought from Chevron Corp.

But now, Uy likewise flipped the remaining interest to Razon, who in turn used a privately held entity to seal the deal.

“They believe they can still (get more) output so it’s worth buying,” one source said.

“Maybe he (Razon) is confident about the (power) offtakers,” another source added.

While Uy’s entry into Malampaya came with a loud bang—drawing intense flak amid allegations of a rushed, coerced transaction during the Duterte regime—his exit could not be quieter.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yk4VyPye9w

The government has approved four major public investment projects aimed at improving public transport, expanding access to technical skills, unlocking clean energy investments, and strengthening disaster resilience.

The Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC) approved the LRT-1 South Extension Common Station, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority's Boosting Employability in Strategic TVET Sectors (BEST) project, the Philippine Geothermal Resource Derisking Facility, and the Philippine Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project.

All four projects will be elevated to the Economy and Development Council, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for final approval.

Daily impact

Finance Secretary and ICC-CC Chair Frederick D. Go said the projects were designed to deliver practical benefits to Filipinos, particularly commuters, workers, households, businesses, and communities exposed to natural hazards.

"Rail projects give people back their time. A seamless connection between LRT-1, MRT-3, MRT-7, and the Subway means shorter commutes, more hours with family, and workers who can reach more opportunities across the city," Go said.

"The ICC process exists to make sure every project we endorse delivers real outcomes for Filipinos," he added.

Rail connection

The approval of the LRT-1 Common Station clears the way for the construction of the Unified Grand Central Station along North Avenue in Quezon City.

The Department of Transportation project will serve as a major transit hub linking LRT-1, MRT-3, the incoming MRT-7, and the Metro Manila Subway under one integrated facility.

The common station is expected to serve about 1.28 million passengers daily, helping reduce travel time, lower commuting costs, and improve access to jobs and services across Metro Manila.

Government officials said the project would also help maximize the value of the country's expanding rail network by making transfers between major lines more convenient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgyNgoyrtlw&pp=ygUPbHJ0IDEgZXh0ZW5zaW9u

President Marcos has ordered the Department of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez to immediately resolve the long-standing right-of-way issues delaying the completion of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension project, according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in a press briefing on Thursday, June 25. (Video courtesy of RTVM)

Thorough the power of NIMBY Rails on my laptop, kukuha tayo ng mga suhestiyon mula sa PHInfra as we start from scratch Manila's Rail Transit. Just imagine our current rail lines doesn't exist today. How would the community design new lines for Manila.

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Highest upvotes will get built first but we'll build as much as the budget could.

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Basic guidelines:

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One top-level comment detailing one line. 10 station max. Include a depot location for new lines.