Manila allocates 2.5 billion pesos for transit, vocational training expansion

The Manila City Council approved the 2026 Infrastructure and Employment Ordinance during its July 6 session. The measure directs city funds to new Pasig River ferry terminals and district-level training facilities in Binondo and Santa Cruz.

Passage followed review of the city's general fund allocations outlined in the 2026 budget papers issued in June. The ordinance responds to documented gaps in east-west transit links that currently force commuters from Ermita to travel through multiple transfers each weekday.

Transit Upgrades and Daily Commutes

Under the ordinance, four additional ferry stops will open between the Port Area and Guadalupe by the end of 2027. Residents in Quiapo and San Miguel gain direct routes to employment sites near the Intramuros commercial corridor, cutting one transfer from many existing journeys. The legislation states that operating subsidies will keep fares at current levels for the first two years.

Vocational centers funded by the same ordinance will offer courses in marine engine repair and supply-chain logistics. Each center is projected to serve 1,200 trainees per year, drawing participants from barangays that reported unemployment rates above 9 percent in the most recent city labor survey.

Budget Figures and Implementation Steps

The 2.5 billion peso total breaks down to 1.6 billion pesos for terminal construction and 900 million pesos for training equipment and instructor contracts. These amounts appear in the ordinance's schedule of expenditures attached to the July 6 council record. The government says the policy will generate 4,800 temporary construction positions during the build phase and 650 permanent roles in ferry operations and center staffing once facilities open.

Public bidding for contractors begins in September, followed by barangay-level information sessions in October. Initial site preparation at the first ferry terminal is scheduled for November, with the first training cohort expected to start classes in January 2027.