President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Monday led the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard, two of the 13 stations of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).

In his speech, Marcos appealed for the public's understanding of the small inconveniences that the construction might bring.

“Although it is given that the construction of these structures may take time and cause disruptions, let us be optimistic and just count these small inconveniences as a small price to pay for the fruitful results that this program will yield,“ he said.

The President claimed that the project was a “signal“ to the world of the country’s intention to pursue “grander dreams“ and “more ambitious endeavors“ that will bring comfort and progress to the Filipino community.

“Be assured that this administration will take the lead in identifying, pursuing, and implementing projects as part of the build better, more infrastructure agenda that we have laid out,“ he said.

“With this serving as our guide moving forward, let our shared aspirations for a better, brighter, and more prosperous Philippines in kindle in all of us Filipinos, a renewed zeal and purpose to work for the advancement of our countrymen,“ he added.

The MMSP dubbed the “Project of the Century“ was funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

It will have 13 stations, and the route starts on Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City and ends in FTI in Taguig City.

The project aims to reduce the travel time from Valenzuela in Quezon City to Ninoy International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City from 1 hour to just 35 minutes.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier said it will serve 370,000 passengers daily across eight cities in Metro Manila once it is operational in 2028.

The DOTr earlier announced the road closure of the Meralco Ave. in Pasig for six years, from Oct. 3 until 2028, to give way for the project's construction.

Motorists are directed to follow the alternative lanes provided by the DOTr.