The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will dismantle the monorail commuter system it built inside the campus of the University of the Philippines (UP) before the year ends.

In an interview, Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña told the BusinessMirror that the agency has secured around P13 million to dismantle the 465-meter single-track train.

The UP monorail has not been made operational since it was constructed in 2012. The single-track train has two coaches that can each carry 60 passengers.

“The agreement of [former DOST] Secretary [Mario G.] Montejo and UP at that time was that they will put it up for the research part so we need a place to run and UP accepted with the understanding that when it’s done, UP has the right to decide whether they will use it or not,” de la Peña said.

“So the administration now concluded that UP is going to be a walking community and so they have not actually planned for that. But we will do something, make it more a learning facility,” he added.

Once dismantled, de la Peña said the DOST will transfer the monorail to another university next year. The DOST is currently in talks with the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU).

If an agreement with the BPSU is not reached, de la Peña said, other universities will be considered. “Madaling humanap kasi ibibigay lang namin sa kanila wala silang gastos [It’s easy to look for interested universities because we will give the facility to them for free],” de la Peña said.

In 2017 the Philippine Information Agency said the DOST was looking for investors for the monorail which was developed by the Metal Industry Research and Development Center.

Called the Automated Guideway Transit, monorail runs from Emilio Jacinto Street in the UP campus, curving on a 25 radius as it reaches C.P. Garcia Avenue.