DoTr seals deal for new trains for LRT-1

The Department of Transportation inked a contract with Mitsubishi Corp. Friday for the acquisition of 120 new rolling stocks for the Light Rail Transit-Line 1, the oldest of three light rail lines in Metro Manila.

Mitsubishi will supply train cars to LRT-1 from 2020 to 2022. Four rolling stocks are expected to be delivered by August 2020.

The 120 light rail vehicles will be used for the LRT-1 South Extension project, which will extend the existing line from Baclaran in Parañaque City to Bacoor in Cavite and increase the system’s capacity from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers per day.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said the government has finally brought life to the much delayed project.

“No way I will delay this activity any further. No way I will procrastinate. No way I will spend much talks and discussion. It is high time that we put this project into high motion,” Tugade said during the contract signing.

The acquisition of new rolling stocks is part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s ¥43.252-billion official development assistance loan for “Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit Systems in Metro Manila Project,” which aims to support quality transport infrastructure in the country.

JICA Senior Representative Tetsuya Yamada said the project will help decongest the traffic-choked streets of Metro Manila.

At present, the LRT-1 has 20 stations from Roosevelt Station in Quezon City to Baclaran Station in Parañaque City.

Based on government data, LRT-1 carries an average of 500,000 commuters daily.

The government first conducted the bidding for the supply of 120 new light rail vehicles for the LRT-1 in March last year but it was declared a failure as no offer was given by Japanese firms.

Former Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya attributed the lack of bids from Japanese firms to the surge in demand of rolling stocks in Japan as Tokyo prepares to host the 2020 Olympics.

The second bidding was conducted for the procurement of LRT-1’s trains earlier this year.         

DOTr also signed a contract with NSTren Consortium for the construction of the Philippine National Railway Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan province.

Tugade said the actual construction of the Tutuban-Malolos project will start by December 2017 or January 2018.

Manila’s other train system—MRT-3—has been heavily criticized for technical glitches which inconvenience the riding public daily.

Palace not looking for scapegoats in MRT-3 mess

Roque says previous administration 'destroyed' MRT

Malacañang lamented the remarks made by Vice President Leni Robredo about the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) where she cast doubt on the reason why the Department of Transportation (DOTr) filed plunder charges against former Cabinet members of the Aquino administration.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Duterte administration is doing its best to address the problem which its predecessor created.

The Vice President was earlier reported to have said that the DOTr should file charges against former government officials based only on evidence and not just to look for a scapegoat.

“Dapat kung mag-file ng kaso, ito ay base sa ebidensya na mayroon talagang pagkakasala na ginawa (When they file a case, they should base it on evidence that there was really a misdeed).

“Hindi siya ginagawang dahilan para lang maghanap ng scapegoat para sa mga bagay na hindi nagagawa (I hope they are not using that just to look for an excuse for failure to address the issue),” Robredo said.

“We find the Vice President’s remarks unfortunate. With all due respect to Vice President Robredo, the MRT-3 issue is not about covering up shortcomings,” Roque countered in a statement Friday.

Roque said the administration has been dealing with the problem and that the President even apologized for the inconvenience the MRT mess has caused the riding public.

“The Administration has faced the MRT-3 mess squarely. The President has even apologized over a recent train mishap.  Transport officials admitted that while they cannot solve the problems overnight, they are working double time to restore the convenience and reliability of the MRT-3 by getting a proven maintenance firm and buying needed parts,” the Palace official said.

Roque also hit the previous administration for ‘destroying’ the MRT.

“We cannot deny the fact that these are cumulative problems that the Administration inherited, and the long-suffering commuters of Metro Manila have known for years how the past government destroyed the MRT,” he said.

Roque added that the filing of charges for plunder against officials of the previous administration was done to hold them accountable.

“These officials facilitated the negotiated procurement of long-term maintenance contracts to BURI (Busan Universal Rain Inc.), which as per the Supplemental Complaint Affidavit filed by the DOTr, ‘turned the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) into a bottomless cash cow entering into one anomalous procurement project,'” he said.

“We cannot simply sweep the sins of incompetence and corruption under the rug with the harsh reality of half a million MRT-3 passengers suffering daily staring us in the face,” he added.

Last month, the DOTr filed plunder complaints against nine top Cabinet members of former President Benigno Aquino III over the alleged anomalous contract for the maintenance of the MRT.

Among the respondents were former DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, who served as DOTC chief before Abaya.

Former Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad, former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, former Energy secretary Jericho Petilla, former Science and Technology chief Mario Montejo, former Defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin, former Public Works and Highways secretary Rogelio Singson, and former National Development and Economic Administration secretary Arsenio Balicasan were also charged.

Prior to this, the DOTr has filed on October 2017, a separate graft complaint against three former officials, along with other BURI officials.

Last week, Roque rode the MRT himself and found the experience “not that bad.”

UNTV: First phase of a new terminal at Clark Int’l Airport to begin next month

PAMPANGA, Philippines — Airport officials believe there is a need to construct new airport terminals in Clark, Pampanga due to the increasing number of passengers at the Clark International Airport.

According to the figures of the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), the said airport has 1.4 million passengers this year, bigger than last year, which was at 1.3 million passengers.

Due to the increase, officials of CIAC believe there is a need to build another airport terminal.

“We are at the first phase. What does the first phase contain? The first phase contains a new terminal project. This means we will build a new terminal, new passenger terminal building,” CIAC CEO Mr. Alexander Cauguiran said.

“Aside from this building, we will construct as well a secondary road network that would connect the terminal to the SCTEX so that passengers will no longer have to pass through the middle of the zone. And then of course the transportation hub and the horizontal project. These five components are incorporated in the first phase,”  he added.

The said project will begin in December of this year and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.

“The government, President Duterte, and DOTR want the BCDA to finish it by the first quarter of 2020. From there, once the market becomes vibrant, we can see its results. It will take years before we can implement the second phase,” Cauguiran said.

The soon to be constructed terminal is expected to accommodate up to 8 million passengers.

With a second terminal, the Clark Airport can accommodate a total of more than 12 million passengers.

The construction of the new terminal is expected to cost the government P12 to P15 billion.

https://www.untvweb.com/news/first-phase-of-a-new-terminal-at-clark-intl-airport-to-begin-next-month/

MPIC expects CALAx contract inked next year

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) unit MPCALA Holdings Inc. is looking to sign the contract for the construction of the Cavite segment of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAx) by early next year.

“We will sign possibly in January,” MPCALA Holdings president and chief executive officer Luigi Bautista said in a text message.

MPCALA Holdings signed in March the agreement with D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) for the construction of the 18-km Laguna segment of the CALAx.

MPCALA Holdings’ contract with DMCI for the Laguna segment is worth P7.2 billion.

MPCALA Holdings broke ground for the Laguna segment of the CALAx in June.

MPCALA Holdings bagged the contract for the P35.43 billion CALAx under the public-private partnership program in 2015.

The CALAx is a four-lane 45-km expressway linking Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

It will start from CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEX-Mamplasan interchange in City of Biñan, Laguna.

There will be eight interchanges in locations such as Kawit, Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang East, Sta.Rosa-Tagaytay Road, Laguna Blvd. and Technopark.

The concession period will be for 35 years including five years for design and construction.

Bautista said CALAx is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

Once completed, it is seen to reduce travel time from CAVITEX to SLEX by 45 minutes.

At present, MPIC operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and CAVITEX through tollways arm Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

Aside from the CALAx, MPIC is working on other tollway projects such as the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, NLEX-Harbor Link Segment 10, C-5 South Link, and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/12/01/1764015/mpic-expects-calax-contract-inked-next-year

DOTr, Mitsubishi Corp. Sign Contract for Procurement of Light Rail Vehicles

The contract for the acquisition of new Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) south extension project has been signed.

In a signing ceremony today, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Mitsubishi Corp. Senior Vice President Tetsuji Nakagawa sealed the agreement for the procurement of 120 new LRVs for the line’s 12-kilometer extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.

The contract signing was also witnessed by Ambassador of Spain Luis Calvo Castano, representatives from the Embassy of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Light Rail Manila Corporation, and ranking officials of the DOTr.

In his speech, Secretary Tugade said it is time to put meaning and reality to a project that has been delayed for so long.

“It is a beautiful day because we are putting life to a project that has been delayed for a long time. No way will I delay any further. No way will I procrastinate. It is high time to put this project in high motion,” said Secretary Tugade.

The Cavite Extension project was first approved by the NEDA-ICC in 2000 as an unsolicited proposal, and later approved by the NEDA Board in 2012 and 2013 as a combined Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Official Development Assistance (ODA) project.

The first bidding for the 120 LRVs from October 2015 to February 2016 failed, causing further delays. Upon assuming office, Secretary Tugade strongly negotiated with the Japanese government on some requirements in the ODA loan to ensure a successful and competitive second bidding.

“We are particularly proud of two things. First, the active participation of Japanese, Spanish, and Korean firms demonstrates the openness, transparency, and efficiency of the bidding process. Second, the final contract price is not only within budget, but is also approximately 20% lower than the bid price of the next-ranked bidder,” added Assistant Secretary for railways Timothy John Batan.

The 120 LRVs are designed with four-LRV configuration. Each train set would have a minimum of 1,388 passengers, sitting and standing. They are expected to be energy efficient and have low maintenance cost.

The first four LRVs are expected to be delivered on August 31, 2020 while the next delivery of 40 LRVs are due on December 31, 2020. Mitsubishi Corp.- Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarrile, the project sub-contractor based in Spain, is expected to complete the delivery of 120 LRVs on December 31, 2021.

The LRT-1 Cavite Extension project is currently on the final design stage and pre-construction activities. Actual construction will start next year and will be completed within the term of President Duterte.(DOTr) 

Memorized mo ba "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit", "Namamasko" at "Noche Buena"?

Memorize mo ba ang mga ito? 

ako kasi, kahit Disyembre namin itong kinakanta sa caroling sa bahay

Ito isa-ulo mo na:

Ang Pasko ay Sumapit

Ang Pasko ay sumapit tayo ay mangagsi-awit 
Ng magagandang himig dahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibig 
Nang si Kristo ay isilang may tatlong haring nagsidalaw
At ang bawat isa ay nagsipaghandog ng tanging alay

Bagong taon ay magbagong-buhay nang lumigaya ang ating bayan
Tayo’y magsikap upang makamtan natin ang kasaganaan
Tayo’y mangagsi-awit habang ang mundo’y tahimik
Ang araw ay sumapit ng Sanggol na dulot ng langit
Tayo ay magmahalan ating sundin ang gintong aral
At magbuhat ngayon kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan

Namamasko

Sa maybahay ang aming bati, Merry Christmas na maluwalhati,
Ang pag-ibig 'pag siya'y nag-hari, araw-araw ay magiging Paskong lagi,
Ang sanhi po ng pag-parito, hihingi po ng aginaldo,
Kung sakali kami'y perwisyo, pasensya na ngayo't kami'y namamasko,

Noche Buena

Kay sigla ng gabi ang lahat ay kay saya
Nagluto ang ate ng manok na tinola
Sa bahay ng kuya ay mayro'ng litsonan pa
Ang bawat tahanan may handang iba't iba
Tayo na giliw magsalo na tayo
Mayro'n na tayong tinapay at keso
Di ba noche buena sa gabing ito
At bukas ay araw ng Pasko

Pasko na naman

Pasko na naman, O kay tulin ng araw
Paskong nagdaan, tila ba kung kailan lang
Ngayon ay Pasko, dapat pasalamatan,
Ngayon ay Pasko tayo ay mag-awitan

Pasko! Pasko! Pasko na namang muli!
Tanging araw na ating pinakamimithi,
Pasko! Pasko! Pasko na namang muli!
Ang pag-ibig naghahari.

Mano Po Ninong, Mano Po Ninang!

Maligaya, maligayang Pasko kayo'y bigyan
Masagana, masaganang Bagong Tao'y kamtan
Ipagdiwang, ipagdiwang araw ng Maykapal
Upang manatili sa atin ang kapalaran
At mamuhay na lagi sa kapayapaan

Mano po Ninong, mano po Ninang
Narito kami ngayon humahalik sa inyong kamay
Salamat Ninong, salamat Ninang

Sa aginaldo pong inyong ibinibigay

isaulo din:

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go, laughing all the way;
Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.

Chorus:
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh.

2. A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon Miss Fanny Bright was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank; misfortune seemed his lot;
He got into a drifted bank, and we, we got upsot. (Chorus:)

3. A day or two ago, The story I must tell
I went out on the snow and on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away. (Chorus:)

4. Now the ground is white go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob-tailed bay two-forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh and crack! you'll take the lead. (Chorus:)

Joy to the World
Joy to the world, the Lord is come let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing and heaven and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found.
Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love
And wonders of His love and wonders, wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love and wonders, wonders of His love

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Good tidings to you, and all of your kin,
Good tidings for Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

We all know that Santa's coming,
We all know that Santa's coming,
We all know that Santa's coming,
And soon will be here.

Good tidings to you,
And all of your kin,
Good tidings for Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,

And a Happy New Year

SENATORS TO TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT: Make sure Sumitomo contract aboveboard

SENATORS Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday urged transport officials to ensure that the new maintenance deal for the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) would be aboveboard and advantageous to the government.

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) announced on Wednesday that it was set to enter into a three-year contract with Sumitomo Corp. to rehabilitate the MRT.

Sumitomo has a respectable reputation in the industry, Gatchalian noted. “However, DoTr should still exercise prudence in setting the terms of the agreement.”

“Let us bear in mind, however, that Sumitomo may not be the only maintenance provider or even the best one,” said Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services.

She added, “Thus, the government must ensure that the terms of the contract for whichever provider is hired, are not disadvantageous to the people and should be FOI (Freedom of Information)-compliant.”

“Given the good track record of Sumitomo when it maintained the MRT for the first 12 years before the system went through a ‘teleserye’ (television series) of unfortunate events, the prospect of having a reputable maintenance provider back is encouraging and a step in the right direction,” Poe said.

Gatchalian said the privatization of the MRT remains to be to most viable long-term option to improve the quality of its service.

“A short-term contract with Sumitomo would be best, so that potential private buyers will be able to have a free hand regarding future maintenance operations,” he said.

“I welcome the possible return of Sumitomo Corp. to its previous role as the maintenance service provider of the MRT3. As the original maintenance provider of MRT-3, they must surely be equipped with necessary expertise to help fix the recurring ailments of the rail system,” he said.

The Manila Times: Tapping Japan, Sumitomo for MRT-3 a sound solution

The plan of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to tap Japanese assistance and Sumitomo’s re-engagement to rehabilitate Metro Rail Transit Line 3 is the wisest and most practical idea by far for quickly restoring the rail commuter service’s capability to serve its half-million passengers daily.

The MRT line has broken down badly and frequently, and too much time and money have been wasted on the wrong and unavailing solutions by the previous administration. The incumbent government of President Rodrigo Duterte must not gamble on a wrong-headed and untested solution, lest failure break the patience of the Filipino riding public and provoke disorderly protests.

The DoTr has announced ongoing high-level discussions with the government of Japan seek to pave the way for the Philippine government’s direct engagement of Sumitomo Corp. and technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the MRT rehabilitation. They are working on a government-to-government agreement for the provision of official development assistance (ODA) by Japan.

The DOTR says that once the G2G agreement for an ODA is signed, Sumitomo, the maintenance and rehabilitation service contractor will be contracted pursuant to the rules of the government of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.


The department explained the plan as follows:

“The joint venture of Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is being closely considered due to their background and experience with the MRT-3 – they designed and built the system from 1998 to 2000, and maintained the system from 2000 to 2012.”

It said that the proposed new maintenance and rehabilitation contract prescribes a term of three years and covers the rehabilitation and restoration of the system to its original performance standards.

The DOTr terminated the three-year maintenance contract of Busan Universal Rails Inc. on Nov. 6 because of its alleged inability to meet the performance indicators in the contract and failure to procure spare parts.

The department also disclosed that it is studying an unsolicited proposal for the 30-year operation and maintenance of MRT-3. An original proponent status was given to the proponent, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp and Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., and the proposal would soon be endorsed to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for further evaluation.

The two schemes do not conflict. They can complement each other. The DoTr explains it thus:
“The maintenance and rehabilitation service provider will be contracted ahead of the O&M provider to allow for the NEDA approval and Swiss Challenge process. When the O&M provider assumes the operation of MRT-3, they will also take in the maintenance and rehabilitation service provider that will be contracted earlier by DoTr.”

Ayala-Metro Pacific has said that it plans to invest up to P20 billion in the rehabilitation, operations and maintenance of MRT-3.

Both legs of the DoTr plan merit serious consideration.

The point that must not be missed is that the MRT Service should be restored to full capability at the quickest possible time. The disastrous mistakes of the past must be permanently left behind.

The Philippine government and its prospective partners should not lose sight of the stakes involved. MRT-3 today runs along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City. It serves more than 500,000 passengers daily, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000 passengers. The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.

The riding public and the metropolis have a right to demand and get an improved and better metro rail service.

Solon pushes state takeover of MRT 3

A LAWMAKER on Thursday renewed his call to the government to take over the operations of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 to arrest the deterioration of its facilities and services.

“We urge the Duterte government to take over the transport system and nationalize and establish a local industry for its sustainability,” Rep. Ariel Casilao said.

“The Filipino commuter has had enough of an import-dependent system.”

Casilao made his statement even as the National Bureau of Investigation failed to find any mechanical or electrical defects in the coupling devices involved in the decoupling incident at MRT 3 on Nov. 16.

NBI Special Action Unit head Joel Tovera made the assessment Wednesday after his team inspected the coupling devices involved in the incident in which an MRT coach got detached from two front cars.

“We found no defects insofar as the electrical and mechanical aspects of the coupler assembly is concerned,” Tovera said.

Casilao said tapping Sumitomo, the contractor removed by the officials of former President Benigno Aquino III, would not solve the problem.

He said resigned Transport undersecretary for Rail Cesar Chavez had already revealed that even under Sumitomo’s term, the number of passenger unloading incidents had increased from 457 to 539 in 2011, while the incidents under the Busan Universal Rail Inc. peaked at 576 in 2016. 

“As Usec Chavez was transparent enough to reveal this, we are starting to understand why he resigned, and after his resignation all this buzz about Sumitomo replacing BURI took over,” Casilao said.

Chavez said the government was paying MRTC P610 million monthly in equity rental payment.  The MRT’s total cost was $675.5 million in 2000 or about P30.2 billion, while the investors’ equity was at $190 million in 1996 or about P5 billion.