Construction of NAIA T3 Station on the Metro Manila Subway Officially Begins

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 16, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the NAIA Terminal 3 underground station of the Metro Manila Subway Phase 1. The station is part of Contract Package CP109, which covers the construction of one underground station at NAIA Terminal 3 and the adjacent underground tunnel works, implemented by a joint venture comprising Japan's Taisei Corporation and the Philippines' D.M. Consunji. CP109 was awarded in March 2026, with a contract amount of approximately 16.06 billion pesos.

The scope of works for CP109 as disclosed by DMCI includes underground tunnels, the main station structure, electromechanical interfaces, installation, testing, commissioning, and related training. The underground alignment is approximately 1.965 kilometers long, and one underground station at NAIA Terminal 3 will be built. In its May 2026 shareholders' meeting documents, DMCI confirmed that the company had received the notice of award for CP109 and listed the second half of 2026 as the project mobilization phase.

CP109 is being implemented by the Philippine Department of Transportation as the owner, with the notice of award issued on March 26. The contract amount of 16.06 billion pesos includes 12% value-added tax and provides for foreign currency payment portions of approximately USD 20.17 million and JPY 7.03 billion. With the formal groundbreaking ceremony now held, the project has moved from the award and mobilization phase into the on-site construction phase.

NAIA Terminal 3 Station is a core node connecting the Metro Manila Subway to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The alignment plan calls for an underground station in the airport area, linked to Terminal 3 through underground and pedestrian connection facilities. The JICA project plan had previously listed this station as an important interchange facility at the end of the airport branch line, with a reserved pedestrian connection to the terminal building.

Metro Manila Subway Phase 1 is currently planned to have 17 stations and to procure 30 train sets. According to disclosures by the Philippine Department of Transportation in April 2026, 10 tunnel boring machines are continuously working on the project, and the vast majority of contract packages have been awarded; the latest plan at that time listed the first quarter of 2028 as the demonstration run milestone, with full passenger service planned for around 2031.

The Philippine government's 2027 national expenditure program also proposes allocating 67.44 billion pesos for Metro Manila Subway Phase 1, higher than the 20.39 billion pesos approved for 2026. Together with the North-South Commuter Railway, the project will be a major focus of the Philippines' railway infrastructure budget for the coming year.

Metro Manila Subway Phase 1 connects Valenzuela with southern Manila and the airport area, and forms interchange relationships with the North-South Commuter Railway, MRT-3, MRT-7, LRT-1, LRT-2, and the planned MRT-4. Once NAIA Terminal 3 Station is completed, it will directly connect the airport's Terminal 3 building to the Metro Manila urban rail transit network.