Claim: A train ride from Calamba, Laguna to Legazpi, Albay, on the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will take only two hours.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Posts on multiple Facebook pages circulated the claim, spreading false hope among commuters of Bicol, Calabarzon, and Manila looking for alternative public transportation options.

The Facebook page Bicol News posted the claim on January 15. It has gained over 4,400 reactions, 1,400 comments, and 1,000 shares as of writing. 

The post reads: “Inaasahang bubuksan na sa publiko ngayong 2025 ang biyaheng Calamba – Legazpi na magkokonekta sa mga lalawigan ng Laguna, Quezon, at Bicol. Sa panahon na maisakatuparan ito, magiging mahigit 2 oras na lamang ang biyahe mula Laguna patungong Bicol Region.”

(The Calamba – Legazpi route is expected to be opened to the public by 2025, connecting the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, and Bicol. By the time it is completed, the travel time from Laguna to Bicol Region will be just over two hours.) 

Other pages shared the claim, with Laguna News’ post on January 14 garnering an estimated 43,000 reactions, 6,000 comments, and 13,000 shares while Wonderful Bicol’s post on January 17 has over 2,000 reactions, 453 comments, and 383 shares. 

The facts: In a news report by Bombo Radyo Naga on January 21, PNR General Manager Deovanni Miranda clarified that the posts circulating online about the two-hour trip are “fake news.” 

He said that under the current plans to link Southern Tagalog and the Bicol region, a two-hour train ride would not be possible.

Miranda also explained that the target dates being shared with the public about the project’s operation are not aligned with the plans of the PNR and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The PNR is currently working to reconnect Calamba, Laguna, and Legazpi, Albay, and is eyeing the reopening of the train service before 2025 ends. As of writing, there is no confirmed date for the reopening of the train service.

South Long Haul project: Meanwhile, the proposed South Long Haul project, which aims to connect Laguna to Albay by reviving the old “Bicol Express” railway, is facing challenges in securing funding.

The government initially sealed a P142-billion contract with Chinese contractors in 2022 to finance the project, but stalled loan negotiations between the Philippines and China are threatening to delay the project.

According to DOTr Undersecretary Jeremy Regino, insufficient funding for the project in the 2025 General Appropriations Act is making it challenging to acquire right of way. 

The government is eyeing other potential funders such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or the Asian Development Bank to finance the project. – Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com 

Angelee Kaye Abelinde, a campus journalist from Naga City, is a second-year Journalism student of Bicol University and the current copy editor of The Bicol Universitarian. She is a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024. 

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.