‘Defunding busway to disrupt 183,000 commuters, PITX traffic’
MANILA, Philippines — Nearly 183,000 commuters in Metro Manila could lose their main mode of transport if legislators fail to allocate P1.76 billion for the operations of the EDSA Busway next year.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is at risk of discontinuing one of Metro Manila’s most popular public transport because of lack of funding.
Transportation Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor said the DOTr has been denied its request for at least P1.76 billion for busway operations in 2027.
The DOTr has yet to conclude the project study for the planned public-private partnership (PPP) for the busway. Currently, the agency is developing a P21.17-billion concession for the eventual private turnover of the busway.
As such, the busway that handled 66.67 million passengers in 2025 faces funding risks that could impact the transport ecosystem in Metro Manila. Last year, the busway saw daily ridership climb to an average of 182,656, with the largest single-day traffic reaching 321,186.
The idea of discontinuing the project also worries infrastructure builder Megawide Construction Corp., operator of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), the southernmost stop of the busway.
Megawide chief business development officer Jaime Raphael Feliciano said the PITX traces up to 10,000 of its 180,000 passengers daily through the busway.
“Any significant changes to the current EDSA busway system could have implications on traffic and passenger movements (in the PITX),” Feliciano confirmed to The STAR.
Thus, Pastor said the DOTr is appealing to lawmakers to inject the P1.76-billion request. Otherwise it would be challenging for the DOTr to sustain the busway, and would be pushed to look into other ways to fund it.
“The P1.76 billion is for infrastructure like station renovation, security and janitorial services and wages for enforcers and staff. Should there be no funding, we will find a way to ensure that there is still effective and efficient travel in the busway,” Pastor told The STAR.
As to where funding could be sourced, Pastor declined to list other options, pinning his hope on Congress to appropriate a budget prior to approval.
For Pastor, the zero budget fiasco underscores the urgency of pursuing a PPP for the busway, so that it would be operated by a private firm tasked to invest yearly.
“One of the most important (advantages of PPP)is the assurance of having sufficient and reliable funding to operate the service throughout the year,” Pastor said.
Still, the DOTr wants to complete its rehabilitation works on the busway prior to a PPP. For one, the DOTr awarded a P264.86-million project to construct new stations in Cubao, Magallanes and the PITX.
The DOTr had also finished the renovation of the busway station in Kamuning and replacement of a steep footbridge nearby. Pastor said the objective of these projects is to prepare the busway for future demand.
The busway was conceptualized by the DOTr during the pandemic in 2022, when it recorded its highest ridership in a year of 97.91 million because rides then were free.
In 2023 ridership fell to 57.51 million, but recovered to 63.02 million in 2024 and 66.67 million in 2025, making it one of the busiest transport modes in Metro Manila.
The busway runs through EDSA between Monumento and the PITX, stretching for 28 kilometers and covering 24 stations.
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