DOTr: Metro Pacific gets original proponent status

The Department of Transportation said Metro Pacific Investments Corp. obtained an original proponent status for the rehabilitation and takeover of the operations and maintenance (O&M) of MRT3 system.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tuagade, however, said getting an original proponent status did not mean MPIC’s proposal was automatically approved.

“There will be discussion and agreement, then it will be submitted to Neda. If Neda and the President approved it, there will be Swiss Challenge,” Tugade said, referring to the National Economic and Development Authority.

“We have created a platform to explore possibilities, including privatization to address the issues in MRT,” he added.

The consortium of MPIC and Ayala Corp. earlier submitted an unsolicited proposal to Transportation Department to upgrade and rehabilitate MRT 3 system for P12.5 billion.

The consortium is also looking at buying out the stake of the government and private investors in MRT 3.

The government through Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines own a combined 80-percent economic interest in MRT 3, while the balance is held by creditors of Metro Rail Transit Corp.

MPIC in 2011 offered to buy out the shares of LBP and DBP in MRT 3 for $1.1 billion.

MPIC-Ayala Group earlier said it expects to take over the O&M of MRT3 in six months from the submission of its application as the original proponent to the government in July.

MPIC submitted a proposal to the Department of Transportation in 2011 to invest $524 million to rehabilitate and upgrade MRT 3.

The Aquino administration, however, rejected Metro Pacific’s offer that would involve raising commuter fares.

MRT 3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves over 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.

The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.

Groundbreaking for LRT-MRT common station set this month

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will start the construction of the common station connecting the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system later this month. DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the groundbreaking of the LRT-MRT common station is set on September 29, 2017.

“With this groundbreaking, we hope that we can now start the implementation of the common station project,” Tugade told reporters on the sidelines of the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Toll Interoperability Friday at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“This was made possible through the support of the leadership of Congress as well as the private sector,” he added.

The establishment of the common station will help realize the vision of the DOTr for an intermodal and inter-operable transportation system in the country as this will enable passengers to transfer seamlessly between one railway system to another.

Expected to be completed by April 2019, the 13,700-square meter common station will connect LRT Line 1 (LRT-1), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), and the MRT-7 from EDSA corner North Avenue, Quezon City to Araneta-Colinas Verdes Subdivision, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

It is a joint project of the DOTr, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPH), Universal LRT Corporation (BVI) Limited of the San Miguel Corporation (SMC), Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), North Triangle Depot Commercial Corporation (NTDCC), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).

Last January, a memorandum of agreement was signed by the government, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, SMPH Director Hans T. Sy, Ayala Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jaime Zobel de Ayala, and SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang, ending a deadlock spanning nearly eight years.

Under the agreement, the common station will be located in the middle of the original 2009 site in front of SM Annex and the 2013 location near Ayala’s TriNoma mall in Quezon City.

The government will shell out PHP2.8 billion for the construction of the common station’s Area A where the platform and entrance for LRT-1 and MRT-3 will be located.

The common station will be financed and built by the DOTr, while the operation, maintenance, and development will be split between LRMC for LRT-1 and DoTr for MRT-3.

Pangan: Ambitious subway plan

WITH a staggering $7 billion project cost (yes, in dollars), the Philippine government embarks on an ambitious subway plan comparable with those in developed countries.

Beset with traffic congestion problems which authorities have not successfully addressed despite myriad approaches, the government, through its economic managers, is expected to approve the first subway plan by the National Economic and Development Authority's (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee and final approval of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Mega Manila Subway Project Phase 1 covering a 25-kilometer underground mass transportation system connects Quezon City and Taguig City and would tap an estimated $4.4 billion of the official development assistance (ODA) from Japan and the balance would be sourced from other lenders.
The subway plan would be a very welcome development for Metro Manila residents who have suffered for so long with serious traffic congestion problems.

At present, Metro Manila, which is bursting at the seams due to overpopulation, relies heavily on MRT and LRT lines which turn out to be very unreliable and trouble-laden.

With this new subway transport system, Metro Manila would heave a sigh of relief as it will give its residents more options as far as transport is concerned. The only issue here is how fast would the approvals come, first from Neda and finally from PRRD. Let's wait with bated breath for development on the issue.

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It is about right for the House of Representatives to put its foot down and shame the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) with a demeaning P1,000 budget for the year 2018.

This agency for the past years has been beset with allegations of massive corruption irritating even the honorable members of Congress, so despite seeking a P365 million allocation for next year, Congress severely trimmed it down to P1,000 as punishment for its inefficiency and corruption.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, chair of the Senate energy committee reportedly advised the legislators "to decide with prudence and seriously consider the critical function that the ERC exercises over an industry wherein multi-billion dollars of investments are at stake".

Still, the decision to trim ERC's budget to just P1,000 is a wake-up call for it to shape up or be shut!

Groundbreaking for LRT-MRT common station set for Sept. 29

The common station linking Metro Manila's three railway systems is finally set for groundbreaking months after the private sector stakeholders and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) agreed on its location.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the groundbreaking ceremony will be held on September 29.

"Ito po 'yung lugar kung saan pinagsama-sama natin 'yung mga stakeholders... pati 'yung kaso sa Supreme Court nag-file na sila ng manifestation na maalis na," Tugade told reporters on the sidelines of the signing of the memorandum of agreement on Toll Collection Interoperability in Taguig City.

The common station connecting the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), and the currently under construction MRT-7 will rise at the junction of EDSA and North Avenue in Quezon City.

The 13,700-square meter station is estimated to cost P2.8 billion.

On January 18, heads of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., SM Prime Holdings Inc., Ayala Corp., and San Miguel Corp. signed a memorandum of agreement that the common station will be located between the 2009 original proposed site, in front of SM Annex, and the 2014 proposed location near the Ayala-managed TriNoma Mall, ending an eight-year deadlock.
Some lawmakers, including Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, earlier expressed concerns over the location of the common station, saying it puts businessmen's interest on top of commuters' convenience.

Tugade said the fact that a date has been set for the groundbreaking means all the problems raised earlier have already been addressed.

"'Di ba pag nag-groundbreak na ibig sabihin tuloy-tuloy na 'yung proyekto?" he said.

And, thank you once again to the great Joseph Aguinaldo Abaya!

The common station project began to take shape in 2009 with a deal between the Light Rail Transit Authority and SM Prime Holdings to build it for the mass rail transit system near SM North EDSA.
But in 2013, then-Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) decided to build the station near Trinoma, citing a study that the government could supposedly save P800 million to P1 billion if the project is relocated closer to the Ayala-controlled mall.
SM Prime Holdings sued the DOTC and LRTA for breaching the 2009 agreement.
In 2014, the SC issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of SM Prime Holdings stopping the construction of the common station.
In May, the SC extended the TRO to cover the relocation of the common station.
The DOTr earlier said the parties involved will file a joint manifestation to ask the court to lift the TRO.

Walastek, the guy really FCKED up bigtime the mass rail transit lines:

• LRT1 = CS issue / "sunk cost" [command responsibility]
• LRT2 = split the single turnkey contract into several smaller contracts
• MRT3 = maintenances provider fail / procurement of additional trainsets fail 

Mega Manila subway, 11 projects to be launched

The government has approved the launching of a Mega Manila subway and 11 other projects.

Duterte administration eyes traffic solution and socio-economic growth.

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Likewise, President Duterte has called for the acquisition of brand new planes and military equipment for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

New toys for the big boys, DU30 said.

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As this developed, the House of Representatives approved the P3.767-trillion national budget for 2018.

More funds to be made available for national development.

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The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said it has approved the construction of the country’s first subway system for Mega Manila starting next year,to be operational by 2022.

Ambitious but doable, government says.

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The project will cost $7 billion, according to NEDA Secretary Ernesto Pernia who presided over the recent NEDA board meeting, representing the President.

Duterte says subway for traffic-congested metropolis is okay.

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Pernia explained that the initial price tag of the subway project was only $4.4 billion but NEDA raised the budget to $7 billion to make way for an additional spur line that will run from the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) complex to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“It will surely make the plane-riding public happy,” Pernia said.

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The NEDA chief pointed out that the Mega Manila Subway will span 25 kilometers and have 13 stations, to includeAnonas, Bonifacio Global City, Cayetano Boulevard, East Avenue, Kalayaan Avenue, Katipunan, Mindanao Avenue, North Avenue, Ortigas North, Ortigas South, and Quezon Avenue, along with the FTI and NAIA stations.

Here comes a remedy to traffic congestion.

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Pernia said the massive project will be financed by an Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan, to be coursed through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Japan to the rescue. Domo arigato!

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The government said that JICA has already completed the feasibility study for the subway project.

But updating will be made to jibe with Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, Pernia said.

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NEDA also said it approved 11 other projects during a recent stakeholder’s meeting last September 12.

A dozen projects approved for takeoff.

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Other projects/programs approved were: Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridges construction project,18 month validity extension of the Asian Development Bank Loan for Improvement and Institutional Development Project, and improvement of Growth Corridors in Mindanao.

The more the merrier, as the old saying goes.

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Also approved were the: Philippine National Railway’s P151 billion South Long Haul (Calamba City to Bicol) project, the P134 billion South Commuter Line (Tutuban to Los Baños) line projects and the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System.

Transport projects among government priorities.

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Also to be funded are the Lower Agno Irrigation System Improvement Project, the change in mode of implementation for the Clark International Airport Expansion Project, and inclusion of Department of Finance in the Project Management Team of the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project.

Time for regular monitoring and speedy completion of scio-economic projects.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/09/14/mega-manila-subway-11-projects-to-be-launched/