To connect Leyte to Mindanao
ORMOC CITY – Leyte Representative Richard Gomez disclosed that he would refile his bill seeking to establish a railway system in the region, particularly covering the provinces of Leyte and Southern Leyte, connecting these provinces to Mindanao.
In an interview, Gomez emphasized that a railway system would significantly improve the delivery of services and ease of transportation across the region.
While acknowledging that the project will require substantial funding, he said the long-term benefits will far outweigh the cost.
“(When Congress opens this July) I will refile my bill to establish a railway system, starting from Tacloban City to Ormoc down to San Ricardo, Southern Leyte that will connect to Mindanao,” Gomez, who was recently reelected as Leyte’s 4th district congressman, said in the sideline of this year’s Pina Festival.
The proposed railway line would span over 200 kilometers within Leyte province alone, and is expected to involve major infrastructure investment.
Gomez recalled that when he first filed House Bill 2221 in 2022, the measure was referred to the House Committee on Transportation, but was never taken up for discussion.
He also noted that around P200 million was earmarked under the General Appropriations on that year for a feasibility study for the project, but the study was never conducted.
“It was such a waste so I will refile the bill and hopefully, the amount for the feasibility study can be increased so we can finally establish a railway system),” the lawmaker said.
“If we have a railway station, it will make transport affordable, faster, and more efficient,” he added.
“It may be expensive at the beginning, but in the long run, it will last for decades and will benefit our people.”
In March 2025, when the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC), chaired by Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, the congressman’s wife, approved a P500 million feasibility study for the proposed railway initiative.
JOEY A. GABIETA
