BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

The Department of Education (DepEd) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO) to bring safer, more accessible, and sustainable transportation options to learners through the Senate-DepEd (SEED) Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Project. 

The initiative supports President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s vision of improving public transportation to enhance the mobility and quality of life for Filipino learners. 

The collaboration centers on the 13-hectare DepEd Complex in Taguig City, which DepEd plans to transform into an Education City—a future-ready, climate-resilient, and sustainably mixed-used space featuring green commercial and residential buildings, open spaces, transit hubs, training and MICE facilities, and teacher accommodation.

Education City will rise at the center of the future Senate-DepEd Station, a major transport hub connecting two of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) railway.

“This partnership ensures that our learners and educators will also directly benefit from a well-planned, green, and safe environment that ultimately contributes to the public education objectives,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said. 

The SEED Project aims to build well-connected, well-planned, and accessible communities around the major rail corridors, making it easier for students and residents to live, learn, work, and move within Metro Manila. 

In addition to improving connectivity, the project is expected to generate long-term revenue opportunities that will help DepEd fund the construction of more classrooms and advance digital learning in public schools.

“The UK is proud to bring in British expertise and innovation to pioneer a TOD where people can live, learn, work, and thrive — connected by efficient transport systems, designed with people at the heart, and guided by principles of sustainability and resilience,” British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said.

Under the MOU, a working group will be formed to oversee the project’s implementation and mobilizes the Phase 2 of the plan, which includes technical studies and a project concept to be submitted to the NEDA Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) for approval. 

The initiative is funded under the UK FCDO’s Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme, drawing inspiration from London’s Elizabeth Line, a known model for smart transit-linked development. DepEd and DOTr will collaborate with experts from Crossrail International and top British architectural and engineering firms.

*All Photos from DepEd