LRTA clears right-of-way for Las Piñas station

MANILA, Philippines — The Light Rail Transit Authority has secured 4,465 square meters of land for the construction of the LRT-1 Las Piñas station, the Department of Transportation said on Thursday.

DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the Villars donated the parcels of land to speed up the construction of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project and bring rail service closer to the southern part of Metro Manila and Cavite.

“It’s a big help to our commuters in Las Piñas and Cavite, easing their daily travel,” Lopez said.

According to LRTA Administrator Hernando Cabrera, the donation will “allow the government to save a significant amount of public funds.”

“More importantly, it will help us move the project forward and complete it much sooner,” Cabrera said.

The donated lands account for nearly half of the 8,389 square meters needed to build both the Las Piñas and Zapote stations, DOTr previously said. The donation marks the end of the construction hurdles for the station, after the government and the Villars agreed on the conditions set by the DOTr.

“Once completed, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project is expected to service an additional 300,000 passengers daily, reducing travel time from Baclaran in Parañaque to Bacoor in Cavite from its original travel time of one hour and 10 minutes to just 25 minutes,” Lopez said.

LRT-1 trains, stations fixed

The Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) has completed the needed fixes and upgrades to keep LRT-1 train services running even during extreme weather.

According to the LRMC, the infrastructure works were necessary to improve reliability and safety of the railway.

The repairs included replacing an air conditioning unit drain that caused a water leak during a rainy day in August inside a train, to the detriment of commuters. The ACU drain had failed prematurely before its usual lifespan of five years, LRMC had said.

LRMC also reopened two pedestrian interconnections at the Baclaran Station, one of the LRT-1’s busiest stops, to provide ease of access to commercial centers and street level.

Based on data from LRMC, the LRT-1 sustained its near-400,000 daily passenger traffic despite the multiple class and work suspensions in August.

The LRT-1 carried an average of 376,000 passengers daily in August, close to the 2025 average of 397,129.

LRMC president and CEO Enrico Benipayo said the operator is bent on completing quick fixes to improve passenger comfort, adding that railways are among the most dependable modes of transport during rainy days.

“By acting swiftly on feedback and continuously upgrading our protocols, we ensure that LRT-1 remains a safe and dependable mobility partner for every Filipino, even during severe weather,” Benipayo said.

LRMC, a unit of Metro Pacific Investments, manages the LRT-1 through a P65-billion concession lasting for 32 years from 2015.