THE TAGUIG CITY Integrated Terminal Exchange (TCITx) is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2028, according to the Transportation department.
“This project will be instrumental in decongesting major thoroughfares and offering a smoother journey for the riding public. We eagerly anticipate its completion and operational launch in the first quarter of 2028,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said during the TCITx’s groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.
Located at Ayala Land, Inc.’s (ALI) Arca South mixed-use development, TCITx will span 5.57 hectares and will cater to up to 160,000 passengers and 5,200 vehicles daily.
TCITx’s project cost, as approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, is P4 billion.
The project will be directly integrated with the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway Project. It will also have connections to provincial and city buses, as well as other public utility vehicles.
Construction of the project will begin in the first quarter of 2025 and is slated for completion by 2027. Project testing and commissioning will commence by the first quarter of 2027.
TCITx is expected to benefit commuters from Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, and Batangas. It is designed to function similarly to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
“One can come from Laguna via bus and transfer to the subway to go to Quezon City or take the NSCR and head straight to Pampanga,” ALI President Anna Ma. Margarita B. Dy said during her speech at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“This is the kind of transportation infrastructure that truly propels productivity and growth, not just for Taguig, not just for the southern provinces of Manila, but for the country as a whole,”she added.
TCITx is a private-public partnership project awarded to ALI in 2015, with a 35-year concession period. It was originally set to be operational by 2020 but encountered several right-of-way issues.
Some of the developments within the 74-hectare Arca South include the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital, a Landers Superstore, Arca South Pitch, and residential developments from Ayala Land brands.
It will also feature the Ayala Malls Arca South, which is set to open its first phase in December this year.
Arca South is also connected to the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (C6 Expressway) project. ALI is the real estate subsidiary of the listed conglomerate Ayala Corp.
On Monday, ALI shares rose by 7.62%, or P1.70, to close at P24 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave