The Department of Transportation (DoTr) and its private contractors are all geared up for MRT-LRT common station groundbreaking on September 29 (Friday), after a series of talks and settlements for the disputed common station.
The common station project is set to link the main rail systems in Metro Manila – Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), which now travels from Roosevelt Station in Quezon City to Baclaran Station in Pasay City, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 from North Avenue Station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City, and the MRT-7 that is currently being constructed. MRT-7 will run from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, is expected to be completed and operational in the last quarter of 2019.
The construction of the project has been halted and put on hold for nearly 8 years due to legal issues which arises in May 2013, when the former Department of Transportation and Communications initiated to reposition the proposed common station in front of Trinoma as an alternative to the agreed common site of LRTA and SM Prime in front of The Annex at the SM City North EDSA in September 2009.
On November 21, 2013, former President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet approved seven infrastructure projects worth more than P100 billion, including the construction of a common station that would link Metro Manila’s two overhead train services near the TriNoma mall in Quezon City.
The Common Station at the TriNoma will connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, and the future MRT-7 line. The project will also involve the construction of head-to-head platforms for LRT 1 and MRT 3 with a 147.4-meter elevated “walkalator” to MRT 7 on North Avenue.
On July 30, 2014, the SMPHI obtained a TRO from the high court to prevent the DOTC from transferring the common station near Trinoma.
The Supreme Court’s TRO reinforces SM Prime Holdings, Inc.’s position in the case for Specific Performance of SM Prime and LRTA’s Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated September 29, 2009. The case is now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City.
In a statement, SMPHI’s legal counsel Atty. Ryan San Juan said that “SM Prime is not seeking to delay the LRT 1-Cavite Extension project.
Rather, we are merely asking that the DOTC/LRTA and/or the winning bidder construct the Common Station component thereof in front of SM City North EDSA, in faithful compliance with the MOA.”
He added that “SM Prime now hopes that the DOTC and LRTA will respect, honor and abide in good faith with the terms of the MOA and continue the construction of the Common Station at its original location across from the SM City North EDSA Annex building, which was started as early as the beginning of the Aquino administration in 2010.”
Meanwhile, DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a text message, “We will continue working on the award unless and until we receive any TRO or injunctive writ from the SC.”
He added that “As we have said before, the DOTC will respect court issuances, but as long as we have not been legally prohibited from doing our work, we will continue pushing for our infrastructure projects since this is our commitment to the public.”
Earlier, the DOTC welcomed the decision of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court denying SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s (SMPHI) application for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the government in connection with the Common Station project in Quezon City.
In a seven-page order, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court on June 23 stated that “the application of temporary restraining order and writ of a preliminary injunction is denied in view of the mandatory ban under Section 3 of R.A. No. 8975.”
Ending years of the standoff in settling the disputed common station, in January, the government and private companies engaged in the project signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) and have agreed that the common station will now be situated between the 2009 original site in front of the SM North EDSA Annex and the 2013 site near Trinoma Mall.
The MoA was endorsed by JICA Philippines Chief Representative Susumu Ito, DoTr Secretary Arthur Tugade; DPWH Secretary Mark Villar; LRTA administrator Reynaldo Berroya; LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp.; Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan; SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Director Hans Sy; Ayala Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jaime Zobel de Ayala; North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp. and San Miguel Corp. President and CEO Ramon Ang.
DoTr Secretary Tugade assured that there will be more obstruction in building the station in QC. He added that they have already settled the issues with the private companies concerned.
The common station is estimated to cost Php 2.8 billion and is expected to provide commuters ease in traversing from one railway to another.
The common station project is set to link the main rail systems in Metro Manila – Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), which now travels from Roosevelt Station in Quezon City to Baclaran Station in Pasay City, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 from North Avenue Station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City, and the MRT-7 that is currently being constructed. MRT-7 will run from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, is expected to be completed and operational in the last quarter of 2019.
The construction of the project has been halted and put on hold for nearly 8 years due to legal issues which arises in May 2013, when the former Department of Transportation and Communications initiated to reposition the proposed common station in front of Trinoma as an alternative to the agreed common site of LRTA and SM Prime in front of The Annex at the SM City North EDSA in September 2009.
On November 21, 2013, former President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet approved seven infrastructure projects worth more than P100 billion, including the construction of a common station that would link Metro Manila’s two overhead train services near the TriNoma mall in Quezon City.
The Common Station at the TriNoma will connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, and the future MRT-7 line. The project will also involve the construction of head-to-head platforms for LRT 1 and MRT 3 with a 147.4-meter elevated “walkalator” to MRT 7 on North Avenue.
On July 30, 2014, the SMPHI obtained a TRO from the high court to prevent the DOTC from transferring the common station near Trinoma.
The Supreme Court’s TRO reinforces SM Prime Holdings, Inc.’s position in the case for Specific Performance of SM Prime and LRTA’s Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated September 29, 2009. The case is now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City.
In a statement, SMPHI’s legal counsel Atty. Ryan San Juan said that “SM Prime is not seeking to delay the LRT 1-Cavite Extension project.
Rather, we are merely asking that the DOTC/LRTA and/or the winning bidder construct the Common Station component thereof in front of SM City North EDSA, in faithful compliance with the MOA.”
He added that “SM Prime now hopes that the DOTC and LRTA will respect, honor and abide in good faith with the terms of the MOA and continue the construction of the Common Station at its original location across from the SM City North EDSA Annex building, which was started as early as the beginning of the Aquino administration in 2010.”
Meanwhile, DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a text message, “We will continue working on the award unless and until we receive any TRO or injunctive writ from the SC.”
He added that “As we have said before, the DOTC will respect court issuances, but as long as we have not been legally prohibited from doing our work, we will continue pushing for our infrastructure projects since this is our commitment to the public.”
Earlier, the DOTC welcomed the decision of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court denying SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s (SMPHI) application for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the government in connection with the Common Station project in Quezon City.
In a seven-page order, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court on June 23 stated that “the application of temporary restraining order and writ of a preliminary injunction is denied in view of the mandatory ban under Section 3 of R.A. No. 8975.”
Ending years of the standoff in settling the disputed common station, in January, the government and private companies engaged in the project signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) and have agreed that the common station will now be situated between the 2009 original site in front of the SM North EDSA Annex and the 2013 site near Trinoma Mall.
The MoA was endorsed by JICA Philippines Chief Representative Susumu Ito, DoTr Secretary Arthur Tugade; DPWH Secretary Mark Villar; LRTA administrator Reynaldo Berroya; LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp.; Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan; SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Director Hans Sy; Ayala Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jaime Zobel de Ayala; North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp. and San Miguel Corp. President and CEO Ramon Ang.
DoTr Secretary Tugade assured that there will be more obstruction in building the station in QC. He added that they have already settled the issues with the private companies concerned.
The common station is estimated to cost Php 2.8 billion and is expected to provide commuters ease in traversing from one railway to another.
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