TRANSPORTATION Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is doing its best to speed up the completion of major transport infrastructure projects. Lopez said the move is in line with the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to translate public investments into tangible benefits for commuters and the broader economy. ”Expediting the construction of transport projects means ramping up infrastructure spending to ensure that these projects will truly benefit the Filipino people,” Lopez said during the Big Bold Reforms Economic Forum organized by the Department of Finance and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He assured that funds allocated for infrastructure would be used for that purpose. Lopez said the DOTr had been given a P103.05-billion budget in 2025 for infrastructure projects covering the railway, aviation, maritime and road sectors. Of this amount, P93.33 billion, or 90.57 percent, had already been obligated, while P59.63 billion, or 63.89 percent, had been disbursed. For 2026, the DOTr has been allotted P74.5 billion for infrastructure flagship projects. ”With this, we are very much committed to continuing our efforts to expedite the completion of all existing projects and deliver them within the timeline,” Lopez said. Among the priority rail projects cited by Lopez are the 147-kilometer North–South Commuter Railway, the Metro Manila Subway Project, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 and the ongoing rehabilitation of MRT 3. He added that in the road sector, the DOTr has begun modernizing the EDSA Busway and is fast-tracking the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system and the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project. The agency, he said, is also continuing the modernization of airports, evident in the upcoming inauguration of the Antique and Laoag airports, and the ongoing expansion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Lopez said the government is positioning the country’s seaports — whether publicly or privately developed — as competitive and investment-ready facilities that would support trade expansion, logistics efficiency, tourism growth and clean energy transition. He added that tourism in Siargao is expected to get a boost with the completion of the new passenger terminal building at Siargao Airport in April. He estimated that the upgrade would increase passenger capacity from 200 to 750. The Port of Jubang in Dapa, Surigao del Norte, Lopez added, is also set for inauguration in the first quarter of 2026. It is designed as a dedicated cruise facility capable of accommodating international cruise ships.