MANILA: Operations of the Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT-1) will be suspended for three weekends this month in preparation for the inauguration of the Cavite Extension Phase 1 in the fourth quarter. The temporary suspension will take effect on Aug. 17-18; Aug. 24-25; and Aug. 31-Sept. 1, the LRT-1 said in an advisory Friday. No commercial train service will run from the Fernando Poe Jr. station to the Baclaran station on these dates. Once finished, the extension will connect Manila to Cavite, reducing travel time from Baclaran, Pasay City to Niog, Cavite from 1 hour and 10 minutes via local roads to only 25 minutes via train. The construction of Phase 1 is progressing as scheduled with a 98.2 percent completion rate as of end of April. The project will add 6.2 km. to the existing LRT-1 line from the Baclaran Station in Pasay City to the Dr. Santos Station in Parañaque City. Phase 1, which is expected to be operational before the end of the year, is capable of serving 600,000 passengers daily. The five new s tations under Phase 1 are at various stages of completion. These are the Redemptorist Station; Manila International Airport Station; Asia World Station; Ninoy Aquino Station; and Dr. Santos Station. The LRT-1 Dr. Santos Station, the end terminal for Phase 1, will serve as a transit hub. Passengers will have seamless access to various modes of transportation through the intermodal facility. Source: Philippines News Agency