To honor local heritage and eliminate confusion, the Parañaque 10th City Council is urging the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to rename a key station on the newly opened LRT-1 Cavite Extension from the generic “Dr. Santos” to its full, historic name: “Dr. Arcadio Santos.”
Resolution No. 2025-230 (004), Series of 2025, approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, presided by Vice Mayor Benjo Bernabe, on August 14, 2025, seeks to properly recognize the distinguished Paranaqueño after whom the major avenue—and by extension, the station—is actually named.
Honoring a native son
The station in question, currently identified as Dr. Santos Station, is part of the five new stations that began servicing the public on November 16, 2024, as part of the massive LRT-1 Cavite Extension Phase 1. It is the 25th station from the northernmost part of the train system (Fernando Poe Jr. Station).
The four other new stations under the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Phase 1 are at: Redemptorist – ASEANA; MIA Road; Asia World (PITX); and Ninoy Aquino Avenue.
The project has been a game-changer for commuters, slashing travel time from Parañaque to Quezon City by nearly an hour and servicing an additional 80,000 daily passengers to LRT-1’s 323,000 daily ridership..
For local historians and city officials, the station’s abbreviated name overlooks an important aspect of the city’s identity.
Dr. Arcadio Santos Avenue, formerly known as Sucat Road, is the primary east-west thoroughfare in Parañaque. Dr. Arcadio Santos, a native of the city and the sitting governor of Rizal, inaugurated the road in 1921, at a time when Parañaque was still part of that province.
“Whereas, the station name Dr. Santos is a common name, thus, there is a need to rename the station to Dr. Arcadio Santos,” read the resolution, whose proponents include Councilors Jose Enrico T. Golez, Charles Yeoj L. Marquez, Raquel C. Gabriel-Velasco, Allen Ford L. Tan, Carina S. Gabriel, Maritess de Asis, Daniel Eric M. Baes, Shiella G. Banzon, Shannon Mae M. Olivarez, Ma. Kristine G. Esplana, Vincent Kenneth M. Favis, Jerome Bart M. Frias, Brillante V. Inciong, Pablo A. Olivarez II, Viktor Eriko M. Sotto, John Ryan G. Yllana, LIGA Pres. Noel P. Japlos, and Sangguniang Kabataan Pres. Denize Kathlyne S. Park.
The resolution added: “In the Committee on External Affairs dated August 12, 2025, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) representatives confirmed that indeed the Dr. Santos Station was named after Dr. Arcadio Santos.”
Approved by Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez on Sept. 9, 2025, the resolution highlights a growing emphasis on preserving local history amidst rapid urban development.
As thousands pass through the station daily, the name Dr. Arcadio Santos will serve as a direct link to Paranaque’s rich heritage and the leaders who helped shape it.
Meanwhile, the SP awaits the LRTA’s submission of a formal report on the decision made by its board regarding the request.
