PHP 52.9B loan for Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Phase 1 secured

A new road network was proposed in 2021 to connect Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, with Calamba City, Laguna. Called the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN), the DPWH initially signed a Consultant's Services Contract for the Detailed Engineering Design (D.E.D.) for the upcoming infrastructure project.

Fast forward to 2025, the Philippine government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), has secured an official development assistance (ODA) loan for Phase 1 of the LLRN. The ODA loan was made possible by the Republic of Korea through the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM).

A ceremonial exchange of the loan agreement took place last Friday, January 17, 2025, at the Department of Finance (DOF) Press Briefing Room along Roxas Boulevard in Manila. There, KEXIM Executive Director Um Sung-Yong, DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) First Vice Minister Kim Beom-Seok, and DOF Undersecretary Joven Z. Balbosa were all present during the ceremony.

The loan is valued at USD 905.26 million (or PHP 52.9 billion) and will support the DPWH's implementation of civil works. The LLRN Project is considered a flagship project under the Marcos Administration's Build Better More program.

Phase 1 of the LLRN Project will see the construction of a 7.94 km road which will consist of 6.91 km of viaduct/bridge work, 1.13 km of embankment, three interchanges, and 1.92 km of slip roads.

DPWH Secretary Bonoan expressed his gratitude to KEXIM for supporting the country’s infrastructure development goals and for its ongoing partnership. Bonoan also highlighted the importance of the LLRN Project, which is set to improve connectivity and economic opportunities in the Luzon Economic Corridor.

Senior DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, who oversees DPWH’s flagship infrastructure projects, emphasized that this road project on the shorelines of Laguna Lake will address severe traffic congestion in the area. The project aims to decongest a portion of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), provide faster and more convenient travel for southbound motorists, as well as boost tourism development and economic growth in the surrounding areas of NCR, Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, and Batangas.

“This transformative project marks a major milestone in our long-term vision to create a sustainable, resilient, and efficient road network that will benefit generations of Filipinos,” said Sadain.

Civil works for the LLRN Project will officially begin this fiscal year 2025, and its completion is expected to happen by 2029. In the future, the LLRN will expand to Phase II, which will connect Calamba City, Laguna, with Binangonan in Rizal. The DPWH has already released detailed illustrations of how the upcoming flagship project will eventually look once it’s finished.