MRT-3 to Be Privatized in 2027
The Philippine government is pushing to privatize MRT-3 (Metro Rail Transit Line 3) and plans to hand over its operations and maintenance to the private sector in 2027.
Under Secretary Giovanni "Vanoy" Lopez, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pursuing a ₱103.6 billion (₱103.6B) concession through a public-private partnership (PPP) that would entrust railway operations management to a private operator.
The privatization covers railway operations, maintenance, and improvement projects aimed at increasing the number of operable trains, improving service reliability, and cutting passenger waiting times.
The government has dropped an earlier proposal to merge MRT-3 operations with other lines and has finalized its decision to offer it as a standalone concession.
MRT-3 currently connects key areas of Metro Manila with 13 stations along EDSA and serves more than 388,000 passengers a day.
The DOTr aims to select the private concessionaire in 2027, and the operational handover is expected later that same year. The winning bidder has not yet been determined.
The government's decision to push ahead with privatization is final, but the actual transfer depends on the concession process.
For the hundreds of thousands of Filipino commuters who rely on MRT-3, this transition raises important questions about affordability, public accountability, and whether private management will bring meaningful improvements.
Public transportation is a public necessity. No matter who operates MRT-3, it must be accessible, affordable, and reliable for every Filipino.
Caption: Iskolar ng Bayan FB page
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2026/10/22/2564913/its-final-mrt-3-be-privatized-2027
They'll probably raise the fares right after that. Damn it.
Let's act surprised if SMC wins it again lol
Goodbye to affordable transportation for ordinary people.
No rail line in the Philippines has been privatized. All the current lines are government-owned, and future lines will also belong to the government under LRTA or the DOTr. How many times do I have to repeat this? Only operations are handed to the private sector; ownership still stays with the state. Line 1: - Owned by LRTA, operated by LRMC (previously operated by LRTA) Line 2: - Owned and operated by LRTA Line 3: - Owned and operated by the DOTr (owned by MRTC until 2025) Line 7: - To be owned and operated by SMC MRT7 Inc. (then owned and operated by the DOTr after 25 years) Line 9 (subway): - Owned by the DOTr, to be operated by a private operator NSCR: - Owned by DOTr / PNR, to be operated by a private operator As several people have said, Lines 1 to 3 never had consistently good operations and maintenance when the government was in charge. Fares are cheap, but the lines were way too run-down most of the time. It's been proven that things improve when private operators handle operations and maintenance, and sometimes even put up the funding. Look at NAIA: SMC financed and did the work with its own money, and it changed a lot. They're going to build a new terminal too. Line 1 got better after it went to LRMC. It's not perfect, but it's far better than when LRTA ran it. If there are results, I'm willing to pay a bit more.
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