On 19 July 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. led in welcoming the inaugural train ride of the 4th generation Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), at the LRT-1 Baclaran Depot. Ambassador KOSHIKAWA Kazuhiko and Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista also took part in the ceremony to commemorate this first ride.
In his message, Ambassador Koshikawa expressed the great value of the ceremony to the bilateral ties of Japan and the Philippines. “Today’s ceremony is undeniable proof that the strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines cannot be deterred, even amid the pandemic,” Ambassador Koshikawa said. He further added, “We expect these cutting-edge train coaches to provide the commuting public with faster, safer, more comfortable, and more reliable rides throughout the city.”
The Ambassador also underlined that Japan continues to stand with the Philippines in advancing strategic infrastructure development in sync with the Philippine government to “Build Better More”, and ensure the undaunted fulfillment of our infrastructure goals.
The provision of 120 new light rail train sets forms part of the “Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit Systems in Metro Manila Project” funded by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in support of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project.
