[8] Envisioned in the 1970s as part of the Metropolitan Manila Strategic Mass Rail Transit Development Plan, it was first planned in 1988 and stalled years later when Japan's official development assistance funds stepped in, the thirteen-station, 17.6-kilometer (10.9 mi)[9] line was the third rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started operations in 2003.

[14] Lavalin of Canada was interested in planning to build the line when the Philippine government would look to have a contract similar to the Bangkok system that was to be developed by the company (this was cancelled in 1992).

This means that the bidding for LRT 2 as a BOT project was unilaterally cancelled by transportation secretary Oscar Orbos, apparently in favor of a “ground-level” transit system.

In April 2000, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) met with officials from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

[5][4][38] On April 5, 2003, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inaugurated the line, effectively opening the first 4.3 kilometers (2.7 mi) from Santolan to Araneta Center-Cubao.

[42] The extension was first approved by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) board of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in October 2003.

The ₱9.7 billion project, at its current form, was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority chaired by then-President Benigno Aquino III on September 4, 2012.

[47] The Philippine national government funded the civil works contracts, while JICA funded the contract for the electrical and mechanical systems as part of its Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit Systems in Metro Manila Project (CEMTSMMP) through a ¥43.2-billion loan for various projects of railway lines in Metro Manila.

[50] The lead consultant is a Korean consortium consisting of Foresight Development and Surveying, Soosung Engineering, and Korea Rail Network Authority.

[4] Meanwhile, the third package, awarded to Marubeni and DMCI, covered the design and installation of the railway tracks and electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems of the extension.

[53] The final phase of construction, covering the installation of the tracks, electrical and mechanical systems, commenced on April 16, 2019.

[56] During construction, on March 10, 2017, a truck slammed in a concrete post of the east extension viaduct, killing one and injuring two.

[57] The initial 2017 deadline was not met, largely due to delays in the station's construction and the installation of the electrical and mechanical systems.

[58][59][60][61] Nevertheless, the extension was inaugurated by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 1, 2021, before formally opening four days later with free rides for two weeks.

[3][62][48] In the following two months since its opening, a shuttle service was implemented between Antipolo and Santolan pending the completion of signaling integration, with one train running within the line's extension.

[63][64] Seamless end-to-end services were initially expected to begin within two weeks after opening,[65] but only started two months later on September 3, after integration works were completed.

[68][69] The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also proposed for a second phase of the east extension to extend the line to Cogeo and downtown Antipolo.

During Holy Week, a public holiday in the Philippines, the rail system is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro.

Part of the platform at the front of the train is cordoned off for the use of pregnant women, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities.

Folding bicycles are allowed to be brought into trains provided that it does not exceed the LRTA's baggage size limitations of 2 by 2 feet (20 by 20 in).

[79] However, by 2021, only a few elevators and escalators remain operational due to anomalies and corruption involving the procurement contracts,[80][81] causing complaints from passengers.

Some stations, such as Araneta Center-Cubao, are connected at concourse level to nearby buildings, such as shopping malls, for easier accessibility.

The line served 33,267 passengers daily on average in 2021,[73] with eight trains available for revenue service running at an operating speed of 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph) in ten-minute intervals, and one train in reserve for rush hour services, which cuts the time intervals to a minimum of eight minutes.

[2] The line runs sixteen electric multiple units made in South Korea by Hyundai Rotem powered by Toshiba-made VVVF inverters.

[94] In 2019, the train ventilation was upgraded to replace the aging air-conditioning units and to alleviate complaints of the commuters for uncomfortable hot rides.

The depot occupies approximately 10 hectares (25 acres) of space and serves as the headquarters for light and heavy maintenance.

The depot is capable of storing 24 sets of electric multiple units, with the option to expand to include more vehicles as demand arises.

[5] Other components of the signaling system includes train detection through track circuits and Westrace MK1 computer-based interlocking.

[11] On August 27, 2020, the Light Rail Transit Authority published the bidding documents for the design-and-build contract for the west extension.

[111] The plan to privatize the operations and maintenance of the line was restarted in October 2019, following a power trip that damaged two rectifiers.