The Department of Transportation has officially requested P1.756 billion in funding for the EDSA Busway’s 2027 operations. This comes after the public transport line was given no allocation in the Department of Budget and Management’s proposal for next year.
Secretary Giovanni Lopez of the DOTr recently appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on Finance to advocate for the proposed budget. He argued that commuters will directly suffer if the busway isn’t allotted funding, adding that the line served 63 million passengers in 2025.
PHOTO BY Sharleen Banzon
He then explained that the busway also consists of many components, all of which need funds to continue running. These include accessibility equipment for PWDs and security at the stations.
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“We are talking of roughly around 63 million passengers annually. Ito po yung talagang tumatangkilik po sa Busway,” said Lopez. “Kung hindi natin mapopondohan ito, paano na po ang mga tinatayo po nating Busway stations? Paano po yung mga elevators, mga maliliit na bagay para sa mga matatanda, sa mga PWD? Paano po pananatilihing malinis, paano po ang seguridad sa ating mga Busway stations?”
Moreover, the EDSA Busway is also undergoing a series of modernization efforts and construction for additional stops. New stations will be erected in Cubao, Magallanes, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, while the stops at Bagong Barrio, Balintawak, and Guadalupe are being improved.
These initiatives are separate from the EDSA Rehab Project and are expected to continue into 2027. While the budget hasn’t been approved, Senate Finance Subcommittee chair Senator JV Ejercito did agree with Lopez’s points and affirmed that the Busway requires improvement.
Watch: Secretary Giovanni Lopez of DOTr argues for EDSA Busway 2027 budget