From the time trains first passed by Laguna province during the American occupation, they have become more than simply a way of transport.
For towns in Laguna province where the Manila Rail Road (later renamed Philippine National Railways) passes through, the rails have become a channel of progress.
At least six towns in the province where the railway line passes through are now transformed into progressive cities.
Today, as the much-anticipated North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) southern extension to Calamba City starts construction, cultural and heritage groups, along with local government units (LGUs) are now in a race against time to save – and preserve – the old railway stations that have become icons of history and progress in the region.
Local heritage
Recently, the city government of Biñan, Laguna held a series of discussions with officials from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to discuss measures to preserve the old Biñan PNR station in Barangay San Vicente.
The old station was first built in 1908, when the MRR Line was extended all the way to Batangas province, and served as Biñan’s main stop for trains from Manila to Bicol and vice versa.
The Biñan station also became a convenient means for businessmen and viajeros to transfer products from Manila to Biñan, which was (and still is) considered an important market town in Laguna’s 1st district.
The station served as the terminus of the Metro South Commuter Line, until the commuter service was gradually extended to Calamba City sometime in 2013.
What made the Biñan PNR station unique is that the old spelling of the town (Biñang) was preserved even after several renovations.
In 2013, a new station was built fronting the old station to serve the new trains for PNR’s Metro South Commuter Line.
However, recognizing the cultural and historical impact of the old station in shaping modern Biñan, the city government declared the old station as a Local Heritage Site.
The Biñan City Culture, History, Arts and Tourism Office (BCHATO) is now spearheading efforts to rehabilitate the old station, which stands on what will be the new NSCR station in Biñan City.
“The position of the City Government of Biñan remains - that the Old Binyang PNR Station is highly significant part of Biñan's history, culture and heritage, thus needs to be protected ‘in situ’ – all the same, reiterating the LGU's full support for the National Government's railway extension project," BJ Borja, head of the BCHATO, said in a Facebook post.
Other stations, too
The Biñan station is just one of four old stations along the PNR’s right-of-way that historians and railway enthusiasts hope to preserve.
Two of them are located in San Pedro City, and one in Cabuyao City.
It should be noted that on October 2023, PNR’s Archaeological and Heritage Impact Assessment (AHIA) Team conducted assessments on how the two old stations in San Pedro City – the San Pedro proper and Pacita Main Gate stations – can still be preserved with the construction of the new NSCR stations.
Like Biñan, the old San Pedro station was constructed in 1908 and also served as the gateway to the PNR’s spur line to Carmona, Cavite that was discontinued in the 2000’s.
There had been talks of reviving the Carmona line in the 2010’s, but the Covid-19 pandemic – and the decision to close the entire PNR line to Calamba City in 2023 to make way for the NSCR – finally put an end to the proposal.
In 2013, a new station was constructed near San Vicente Street, and the old station became abandoned.
The Pacita Main Gate station, opened in 1975 to cater to residents of Pacita Complex subdivision, was also abandoned sometime in the 2010’s due to low ridership.
Meanwhile, there is no update on whether the old Cabuyao station, located just a few meters from the new station which was opened in 2013, will also undergo rehabilitation.
Similar tactic
A similar approach had been made on many of the old stations along the northern portion of the NSCR to Clark, Pampanga, now under construction.
Several old stations along the NSCR’s route, some dating back to the very first railway line in the Philippines (the Ferrocariles Manila-Dagupan, which was opened in 1892) are now targeted for preservation and restoration alongside the construction of the new NSCR stations.
While the NSCR is expected to provide commuters in Laguna province with fast and efficient transportation to Metro Manila, there is clearly a need to “reconnect” tomorrow’s riding public with the old stations that had served as one of the catalysts for Laguna province’s economic growth.
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