The Committee listened to the presentation conducted by DOTC Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Fortunato Caringal on the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project.
Caringal said the NSCR involves the establishment of double-track elevated-level commuter train lines between Malolos, Bulacan and Calamba, Laguna. Considering the huge cost of the project which is P271.19 billion, Caringal explained that it is more feasible and financially viable to divide the project into three phases, namely Malolos to Tutuban (Phase I), Caloocan to Tutuban to Calamba (Phase II), and an express lane link to Diosdado Macapagal Airport (Phase III). Phase I of the project will be funded by a loan from China Export-Import Bank and is expected to be completed by 2019. Phase II of the project will be funded through public-private partnership (PPP), Caringal added.
Rep. Acedillo underscored the need to involve the PNR in the planning process since it is most likely that the PNR will be the one to regulate the operator of the railway.
Caringal said the PNR will be involved in the project either as regulator or operator, although he said it is better for the PNR to limit itself to the role of regulator.
Commissioner Rainier Butalid of the Governance Commission for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) opined that there will be conflict of interest if the PNR acts as both the regulator and operator of the railway line. He said the direction the GCG is taking is to take away the commercial function of GOCCs, like the PNR, and leave it to the private sector; and to retain and strengthen the regulatory function of the GOCCs.
ABAKADA Party-List Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz requested the DOTC to submit the following: feasibility study on the NSCR; report on the status of the North Rail, MRT 3, and LRT 1 and 2 projects; and the status of DOTC railway plans and projects in Visayas and Mindanao.
Caringal said the NSCR involves the establishment of double-track elevated-level commuter train lines between Malolos, Bulacan and Calamba, Laguna. Considering the huge cost of the project which is P271.19 billion, Caringal explained that it is more feasible and financially viable to divide the project into three phases, namely Malolos to Tutuban (Phase I), Caloocan to Tutuban to Calamba (Phase II), and an express lane link to Diosdado Macapagal Airport (Phase III). Phase I of the project will be funded by a loan from China Export-Import Bank and is expected to be completed by 2019. Phase II of the project will be funded through public-private partnership (PPP), Caringal added.
Rep. Acedillo underscored the need to involve the PNR in the planning process since it is most likely that the PNR will be the one to regulate the operator of the railway.
Caringal said the PNR will be involved in the project either as regulator or operator, although he said it is better for the PNR to limit itself to the role of regulator.
Commissioner Rainier Butalid of the Governance Commission for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) opined that there will be conflict of interest if the PNR acts as both the regulator and operator of the railway line. He said the direction the GCG is taking is to take away the commercial function of GOCCs, like the PNR, and leave it to the private sector; and to retain and strengthen the regulatory function of the GOCCs.
ABAKADA Party-List Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz requested the DOTC to submit the following: feasibility study on the NSCR; report on the status of the North Rail, MRT 3, and LRT 1 and 2 projects; and the status of DOTC railway plans and projects in Visayas and Mindanao.
