After acquiring a toll road and launching a 10-lane avenue, Manny Villar now has his eyes set on taking over a portion of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, then extending the line farther into Cavite.
Currently, Manny V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Investments Corporation and the Ayala Corporation are developing and operating the LRT-1 via the joint venture company Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC). Construction of the first 7km of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension is well underway; this covers the first five stations from Baclaran to Sucat, namely, Redemptorist, Manila International Airport, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, and Dr. Santos. Right-of-way issues are delaying work on the final three stations: Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog in Bacoor, Cavite.
Villar is eyeing a takeover of these last three stations, beyond which he proposes building seven more stops, extending the line all the way to Governor’s Drive in Dasmariñas, Cavite, via Molino, according to a report by GMA News Online.
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“I can get the right of way since I own the land where it will traverse,” Villar was quoted in the report.
One of Villar’s ventures is a massive 3,500-hectare real estate development named Villar City, which he says will have 15 satellite cities connected by the 10-lane, 6.2km Villar Avenue. This road will begin at the junction of The Crossing and Dear Joe on Daang Hari, and will end near the university district in Dasmariñas. The development connects to South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) via Villar’s newly acquired Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).
Villar added that he wants to make the LRT-1 Cavite Extension even longer: “I want to extend it all the way to Silang, closer to Tagaytay,” stressing that his plans for the extension would come at no cost to the government.
