The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development–Davao Region said having the Asian Development Bank conduct the feasibility study for the Mindanao Railway allows any interested country to implement the project. The regional director, Priscilla R. Sonido, explained that if China conducted the study, it would also be the only country able to implement the project, but with ADB’s multilateral approach, any country can pursue it. A previous feasibility study by China was scrapped after the project was suspended. The Phase 1 of the Tagum–Davao–Digos segment is not included in the current plan, and the directives from the central office indicate that Phase 1 will be financed by ADB, with procurement for consultants expected to start soon. The feasibility study is expected to begin in 2026, followed by concession activities from 2026 to 2028, and operations are targeted to start by 2031. In November 2025, the Department of Transportation expedited payments to landowners who accepted the government’s offers to purchase properties for the railway, and by November 26, 2025, authorities had served at least 3,291 Notices of Taking across Davao City and other areas. The Mindanao Railway was first proposed in 1936 but never materialized, despite multiple revival attempts, and the current project, launched in 2018, envisions a phased railway network spanning 2,278 kilometers across Mindanao.
