Metro Manila Roadway Tablet: June 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

Japan-backed railway project in Manila to start

A railway project partly financed by Japan is soon to start in the Philippine capital of Manila.

Officials from the 2 countries attended a ceremony on Monday to mark the full-scale start of the project.

The Philippines plans to build a 100-kilometer railway route linking Manila and a special economic zone north of the capital.

Japan will provide up to 240 billion yen, or roughly 2.2 billion dollars, in low-interest loans to cover the cost for 40 kilometers of the route. Construction is due to begin in late 2018, with the aim of starting operations in 2021.

In the Philippines, infrastructure projects have made only slow progress due mainly to budget shortages.

Chronic traffic congestion in Manila is reportedly causing an economic loss of about 45 million dollars per day.

Japan's Ambassador to the Philippines, Kazuhide Ishikawa, said at the ceremony that the demand for infrastructure is high in the country.

He said Japan will export infrastructure technologies and provide other forms of support to make bilateral relations even closer.

China, too, has announced huge economic aid to the Philippines, although the 2 countries are involved in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Japan and China are likely to compete over infrastructure projects in the Philippines.

Traffic pa more!

Oudine Santos, Ato Alvarez, Dr. Jojo Suarez, Nelia Sancho, Mykee Concepcion, Dinky Santos, Baboo Mondoñedo, Rita Trillo-Ugarte, Lia Martinez, Tanya Lim Llana, Alessandra Oledan Rodriguez, Emman Papa, Patricia Bunye, Antonio Leaño, Pete Jimenez, Oscar Villamiel, Alma Quinto, I never doubted General Danny Lim would be a hard working MMDA chairman. His track record shows he is a hands on type of official who sweats it out in the field supervising his people... even when he led a coup.

No wonder he is out there when illegal structures that impede the flow of traffic are dismantled. He is not afraid to confront barangay officials to tell them it is their responsibility to keep the roads clear in their areas.

But it is almost a hopeless case. There are just too many cars and more being added each day while the road network remains the same. The physical problem, plus the lawless drivers and traffic enforcers in our streets, equals the inferno we suffer daily.

I am sure General Danny is frustrated that all he can do now are mere palliatives since the real solution is a civilized mass transport system. Number coding, spreading out office and school schedules and even telecommuting… all seem like rearranging chairs in the Titanic.

We used to have the region's most extensive rail-based mass transport system during the American regime. But all we have now is the decrepit PNR line, LRT 1 and 2 and the unreliable MRT3. JICA experts say they have been proposing to put up a good commuter system for decades and they have spent a lifetime producing studies. But our government simply refused to act.

I know… they just announced they will build a subway system funded by the Japanese. It is a great idea that’s 50 years or so too late. Don’t expect it to be done before Duterte leaves office – no matter what DOTr says.

DOTr under Art Tugade is the same department that said they would need two more years to complete the four kilometers of LRT2 extension whose superstructure is already done. They will only sign the agreement with JICA to conduct the feasibility study of the subway system in November.

A subway is a complicated project, a lot more complicated than the projects DOTr has fumbled implementing in recent years. They are talking a lot about it so people will Dream Dream Dream and forget they are unable to Build Build Build quickly enough.

In the meantime, we have to support General Lim in doing the only things we can do now to make our traffic flow less irritating. We have a disciplinarian in General Lim and I am reasonably hopeful that he will be able to make a mark in the three E’s – enforcement, education, engineering – that is so lacking in our streets.

General Danny started with his own enforcers. He instituted a one strike policy – the first time an enforcer is reported for corruption, he is out. Traffic enforcers, both from the MMDA and the barangays, are not trained and not disciplined and often aggravate the traffic problems.

I hope the General will be able to introduce military style discipline and training to make traffic enforcers credible. For a while, the PNP Highway Patrol troopers were utilized on EDSA, but there are not enough of them to make a difference we can feel on a sustained basis.

I had a brief conversation with General Lim some weeks ago and I suggested that he also starts to discipline the drivers of MMDA accredited tow trucks. They are a menace on the road. They probably think they represent MMDA and, therefore, above the law.

Indeed, it should help that all drivers and helpers in tow trucks be given drug tests. They have to be high on drugs with their kind of driving and behavior. That is why they seem to feel invincible and why they are discourteous to the public.

It is also time to scrap the concept of tow trucks as bounty hunters on the road. They are quick to tow vehicles even if the driver is around and ready to move the vehicle. Issue the driver a ticket for illegal parking, but no towing. It has become a business more than anything else. I am glad the General admonished them to help first and tow later.

There should be some professionalism. Privately owned tow trucks are manned by untrained people who have scratched car bodies and damaged transmissions through recklessness in the towing process. Maybe they should have insurance to cover the damage they cause.

Even before General Lim took over the reins of MMDA, its general manager, Tim Orbos, has started an operation to rid our streets of impediments to allow smoother traffic flow. The tiangge in Baclaran, the service road of Roxas Boulevard appropriated as private parking area, vulcanizing and car repair shops and even Barangay offices, have been dealt with.

But as soon as the backs of MMDA people are turned, they are in “business as usual” mode again. This cat and mouse game has to stop. This is why General Lim admonished the barangay officials to perform their functions too.

More problematic than sidewalk vendors are the politicians of Metro Manila. There are 17 mayors in Metro Manila who all feel they are kings/queens in their localities. Since they are elected and MMDA officials are not, some mayors choose to disregard the MMDA. They carry on as if the problems of the National Capital Region can be addressed independently by each city.

One characteristic that the tough General must develop is how to charm the mayors into cooperating with him. The traffic problem cannot be solved unless every city allows MMDA to coordinate rules and enforcement. It is the same thing in dealing with flood, garbage and health concerns like dengue.

MMDA must also invest in smart traffic management systems. I know that’s not easy. Even Ayala, the great private sector entity that claims they are a government within their realms, had been unable to synchronize the traffic lights at Fort Bonifacio to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Contact free apprehension of traffic rules violators should be expanded. Once motorists realize they cannot get away with violations, we will begin to have more discipline in our streets.

The 3 Es, enforcement, education and engineering, are all we have to make our streets more civilized. The only improvement to mass transport we can hope for within the year, if at all, involves MRT 3.

I doubt they can start to use the Chinese made train cars within a year. None of them have gone through the mandatory 5,000 kilometer test.

But even if they start using the new trains, they still have to fix the tracks, the communications system and the power lines along the entire route so the trains can safely run at a decent speed. I am not sure they can do all that in a year.

Given that the MPIC consortium has been able to quickly rehabilitate the trains in LRT 1, I think the better option is for government to accept a proposal from MPIC to run MRT3 as well. We have suffered enough with government running MRT3. Enough is enough!

In the meantime, let us give General Lim all the support he needs to discipline enforcers, drivers and barangay officials to ensure smoother traffic flow. Even Waze is useless unless secondary streets are free of road obstructions.

My only fear is that the no-nonsense West Pointer will not have the patience required by his seemingly impossible responsibilities. We will have to cover his back and help him do what’s necessary.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

JICA starts moving on PH’s first subway system

Plans for the Metro Manila Subway Project, for which a loan agreement is expected to be signed in November at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the country, are moving forward, with Japanese officials presenting updates on the feasibility study.

The updates on the Metro Manila Subway Project were presented by partners from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at the recent seventh Steering Committee Meeting presided by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade.

The two sides discussed, among others, timelines, alignment, and organizational arrangements. Tugade reiterated his directive that he wants the project to be operational before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2022.

“I don’t want bola-bola [fooling around]. I want this project finished,” Tugade said.

Apart from fast-tracking the project, Tugade also proposed for the subway to extend all the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. “I need to have that connectivity. I have a big problem with NAIA because of the projected increase in volume of passengers,” he explained.

The subway alignment originally has 13 stations, starting from Mindanao Avenue and ending at FTI Taguig. This is seen to cut travel time from Quezon City to Taguig to just 31 minutes.

Tugade also proposed a training facility for railway operators, to which JICA responded positively. JICA also presented possible organizational arrangements to ensure that the subway will be constructed, operated, and maintained by a competent and dedicated team of certified operators and experts.

Apart from a world-class design, the proposed subway system will have water-stop panels, doors, and high-level entrance for flood prevention, earthquake detection, and a train stop system just like the subways in Tokyo.

At the end of the meeting, Tugade and JICA signed a minutes of discussion.

Present at the signing were Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vince Dizon, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Danny Lim, representatives from the National Economic Development Authority, and officials of the Embassy of Japan.

President Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to sign a loan agreement for the Mega Manila Subway Project during the latter’s visit to the Philippines in November.

Govt studying NAIA Expressway extension

The government is studying extending a toll road that leads to the capital’s airports to further ease chronic traffic jams, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said Thursday.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway could be extended to the Bonifacio Global City, Paranaque and Las Pinas, Villar told reporters.
“We’re currently studying various extensions for the NAIA expressway,” he said.
The 7.7-kilometer second phase of the NAIA expressway was opened earlier this month. The toll road connects terminals 1, 2 and 3 of NAIA to the Skyway and the Manila Cavite Expressway.

Government resurrects mothballed rail project

The plan calls for a high-speed rail connection linking Manila with the Central Luzon provinces of Bulacan with Pampanga
The government of President Rodrigo Duterte is reviving a rail project to connect Metro Manila to Central Luzon — an endeavour that had been shelved in the past due to cost overruns and alleged corruption.
According to Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the 106-kilometre Manila to Clark Railway Project will finally be completed under the current administration.
“For the first time, a rail project will connect Manila to Central Luzon and it will be completed under the Duterte administration,” he said.
The plan calls for a high-speed rail connection linking Metro Manila with the Central Luzon provinces of Bulacan with Pampanga.
The rail project envisions cutting by more than half the two-hour travel time from Manila to Clark to just 55 minutes.
Tugade said the rail system stands to benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations and will ease population congestion in Metro Manila as those who live and stay in the metropolis have the option of living in other areas in Central Luzon where there are fewer people.
The transport official said the DOTr will mark on Monday the five stations of the Manila-Clark Railway Project which are in Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban in Metro Manila.
The 106-km railway project that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Clark, Pampanga is among the high-impact projects of President Rodrigo Duterte under the government’s ‘Build Build Build’ infrastructure programme.
“Before the plans for this project are mere talk, now, the Duterte administration will make this a reality,” Tugade said.
Apart from the marked stations, the 12 other stations are: Solis, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport, and the proposed New Clark City in Pampanga.
According to Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn Magno, the project is seen to decongest Metro Manila and spread economic gains throughout the country.
“This project will ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga who travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Metro Manila,” Magno said.
According to the DOTr, the project will start construction in the last quarter of 2017 and will be completed by the last quarter of 2021.
The project costs P255 billion (Dh3 billion) and will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan.
The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120km per hour.
Earlier, the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had planned and started construction on a similar project covering the same area, the NorthRail Project in 2007.
The project was undertaken by Chinese rail contractor Sinomach, however, due to cost overruns the project was eventually shelved and the rails and infrastructures were unused.
The current project being undertaken this time is with a Japanese contractor.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Manila-Clark Railway is on its way

Metro Manila’s traffic congestion is not only an inconvenience but also a financial burden, costing the Philippine economy losses of around P2.4 billion daily, according to a study of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Color coding or limiting the volume of cars are not long-term solutions to solving the traffic problem, especially where mobility options are insufficient in the Philippines. Fortunately, there is progress in developing the country’s mass transit system—specifically with a new 106-km railway project that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Clark, Pampanga.

On Monday, June 26, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) led the marking of five stations of the Manila-Clark Railway Project located in the following areas: Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban in Metro Manila. Apart from the five marked stations, the project has 12 other stations in Solis, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport, and the proposed New Clark City in Pampanga.  

“For the first time, a rail project will connect Manila to Central Luzon,” said DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.

The Manila-Clark Railway is expected to cut the 2-hour travel time from Manila to Clark to just 55 minutes. Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn Magno also sees the project as a way to decongest Metro Manila and spread economic gains throughout the country. “This project will ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga who travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Metro Manila,” said Magno.

The Manila-Clark Railway is scheduled to begin construction in the last quarter of 2017, and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2021. The project will cost around PhP255 billion, funded through Japan’s Official Development Assistance.

The Manila-Clark Railway forms part of several alignments in the PNR’s Luzon System Development Framework: Tutuban-Malolos alignment with a 37.6-km length, and the Malolos-Clark International Airport-Clark Green City (CGC) alignment with a 68.7-km length. Other alignments include: Subic Port-Clark, CGC-Tarlac-San Fernando, Tarlac-San Jose-Tugeugarao, Los Baños-Legazpi, Legazpi-Matnog, and Calamba-Batangas which make-up a total of 1,317 km of railway in Luzon.

The Manila-Clark Railway is designed to have 13 train sets with a maximum speed reaching up to 120 km per hour. DOTr Assistant Secretary for Rail TJ Batan says there will be no significant traffic disruption during the construction of the Manila-Clark Railway because the project will be building on PNR’s right of way instead of on existing roads.

Population density, concentration of rural development and jobs, and lack of a mass transit system are some of the factors which cause traffic congestion in Metro Manila. The Manila-Clark Railway system is only one of several solutions that are needed to address Metro Manila’s traffic problem, but it is a good start. After all, progress is achieved not only through giant leaps but also through hundreds of baby steps.

Common Station groundbreaking expected by September -- Tugade

THE COMMON STATION that will link Metro Manila’s three urban rail systems will finally break ground in September after securing the approval from “people that matter,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said, following contentions on the location of the project.

On Jan. 18, the government, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Director Hans T. Sy, Ayala Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jaime Zobel de Ayala, and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President and CEO Ramon S. Ang signed a Memorandum of Agreement which among others detailed that the common station will be located in the middle of the original 2009 site in front of The Annex at SM City North EDSA and the 2013 location near Ayala’s TriNoma mall in Quezon City, ending a deadlock spanning nearly eight years, resulting led the arrest and detention of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from a controversy following the filing of a complaint for electoral sabotage by the Commission on Elections, the impeachment trial and death of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona and the detention of former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla in connection to the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam.

“September,” Mr. Tugade told reporters when asked when the groundbreaking will be held.

Construction of the 13,700-square meter common-station project is expected to start by December this year and be completed by April 2019. This will connect LRT Line 1 (LRT-1), Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), and the currently under-construction MRT-7 from North Avenue, Quezon City to Araneta-Colinas Verdes Subdivision, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Some sectors, however, have expressed concern over the location of the common station. The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, for one, described the MoA as a “compromise agreement,” adding that “public convenience, not the least cost, should be the main consideration for the MRT-LRT common station.”

Some lawmakers have also expressed skepticism over the proposed new location, which they said “clearly meant to favor the business interests of the two malls” and “sacrificed the welfare of the public.”

“Na-explain ko na ho sa mga pamunuan, kasama na yung mga sa pribado, maski na ho yung mga liderato sa Kongreso, ’yung mga kasamahan natin sa Gabinete na kung saan naliwanagan naman sila kung bakit kailangan ’yung common station doon po ilagay,” Mr. Tugade told reporters. (I explained to the government, even the private [sector], the leadership of Congress, our colleagues in the Cabinet and they were enlightened about why the common station should be [where we proposed it to be].)

“Meron pa ring may ayaw diyan, pero ’yung opinyon, ’yung approval ng people that matter, okay na, kaya ilalagay na po [’yung common station doon] (There are those still opposed to it, but we have the opinion and approval of the people who matter.),” the Transportation chief added.

The government will shell out P2.8 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 Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the original cost for the 2009 location was P2.6 billion at 7,200 sq.m., while the 2014 location cost was pegged at P1.4 billion at approximately 2,500 sq.m.

The P2.8 billion will be financed and built by the DoTr, while the operation, maintenance, and development will be split between Light Rail Manila Corp. for LRT-1 and DoTr for MRT-3.

Henry Sy-led SM and Ayala’s TriNoma will have naming rights for the common station.

The impasse over the common station location ended in September 2016, after the DoTr’s meeting with Messrs. Pangilinan, Sy, Zobel, Ang and SM Investments Corp. Vice-Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson.

To recall, in 2009, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and SM Prime entered into an agreement for the common station to be located at a junction near SM City North EDSA.

In 2013, the DoTr -- then the Department of Transportation and Communications -- decided to transfer the common station to a site across the TriNoma mall, saying this will reduce construction costs. This prompted SM Prime to sue the government for breach of contract.

On November 21, 2013, former President Benigno Aquino 3rd 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 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.

Approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board were the P62.7-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7) project; P64.9-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) South Extension Project; and the P1.4-billion LRT Line 1 North Extension Project.

In July 2014, SM Prime secured a Supreme Court (SC) stay order stopping the transfer of the common station’s site to TriNoma. The high court in May 2016 refused the government’s plea to lift the halt order.

The DoTr said early this year that SM Prime, DoTr, and the LRTA will file a joint manifestation with the SC advising the Court of the MoA to address the issue of the TRO vis-a-vis the common station project.

LRT operator to partner with private firms to hike non-fare revenues

Jacque Manabat
ABS-CBN News

LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) said it is open to partnering with private companies to raise non-fare revenues and improve its stations.
LRMC President and CEO Rogelio Singson announced today that Coca Cola will be its first partner. Under this program, the LRT-1 Central station will be decorated in Coke's iconic bottle and color.
The new design goes complements the upgrades LRMC has implemented on the facility such as the use of LED lights, repainting and repairs on its ceiling.
Singson said they are looking into more partnerships with other private companies.
"We're hoping we could increase our non-fare revenues by 30 percent so we could continue with the stations' improvements. All of that are not covered by fare adjustments," Singson said.
He said that even before its partnership with Coke, there were already ongoing improvements in the stations and trains.
Last Monday, LRT-1 increased the number of available light rail vehicles (LRVs) to 104 from the 77 they received from the government when they took over in 2015.
Out of the 100 LRVs committed to be delivered to LRMC on its takeover, only 77 were in running condition.
"What was committed to us was they will deliver by December 2016 last year, but realizing that the trains will be delivered 2020 or 2019 we have to make do with what we have. We have to go through engineering rehab of rolling stocks"
Singson said that 26 trains run during peak hours with headway reduced from 4 minutes to 3 minutes. Train speed also increased from 40kph to 60kph resulting in shorter queues and more passengers served.
Because of the additional trains, LRT-1 is planning to add more trips on weekends. The railway operator is also aiming to finish improvements to all its stations this December.
Singson assured the public that these improvements will not lead to a fare hike.
"We already have a structure on the concession agreement and this will not add or reduce the fare. Under the concession agreement the tarif is already in place."
Singson also mentioned that they're willing to join the bidding for the improvement of other railways, such as the MRT-3.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Construction of LRT common hub to start

The Transportation Department said the construction of the long-delayed common station that will link Metro Manila’s overhead train systems will start in September.

“The groundbreaking will be in September,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said, adding that Congress and the private sector already approved the location of the common station.

Tugade signed a memorandum of agreement in January with SM Group’s Henry Sy, Ayala Corp.’s Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, San Miguel Corp.’s Ramon Ang and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Manuel Pangilinan to build the common station for Light Rail Transit Line 1, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 and the planned MRT 7.

The MoA contains the design parameters for the common station, which will be the basis of the detailed designs that will be developed after the signing. The location is agreed to be between the original 2009 location in front of The Annex at SM City North EDSA and 2013 location near Trinoma mall.

The P2.8-billion common station will be financed and built by the Transportation Department and is expected to be completed by April 2019.

The MOA would also address the issue of the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court on the the common station project.

The common station project started in 2009 but was put on hold due to legal issues and later shelved due to cost overruns and alleged corruption. The Light Rail Transit Authority initially signed a deal with SM to build the station near The Annex at SM City North Edsa. Four years later, the Transportation and Communications Department under the Aquino administration decided to build the station near Ayala’s Trinoma.

The court intervened and issued a temporary restraining order in favor of SM to stop the construction of the project.

China ODA considered for railway South Line

THE GOVERNMENT is keen to obtain financing for the South Line of the North-South Railway Project through official development assistance (ODA) from China after yesterday marking the stations for the North Line of the project, which will be funded by Japan.
“What the economic cluster decided is that the Luzon [railway] will go to Japan and the Bicol line and Mindanao [railway] will go to the Chinese government,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade told reporters on the sidelines of the marking ceremony of the Marilao and Meycauayan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban stations of the 106 kilometer (km) Manila-Clark Railway Project on Monday.

According to the Department of Transportation website -- which shows the details of the various infrastructure projects undertaken by the government -- the Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Line will run for 653 km, connecting Metro Manila with the Bicol region. It will cost a combined P285 billion for both the PNR South Commuter (P134 billion) and the PNR South Long Haul rail (P151 billion) lines.

The PNR South Long Haul is a 581 km, standard-gauge railway from Manila to Legazpi, passing through Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon and involves the complete reconstruction of the legacy PNR railway into a single-track (initial), at-grade railway, while the PNR South Commmuter line is a 72 km mass transportation railway from Manila to Los Baños, Laguna which will operate through a dual-track, electrified, standard-gauge railway with elevated, at-grade, and depressed sections.

Meanwhile, the Mindanao Railway -- projected for construction by the fourth quarter or early 2018 -- will connect Tagum-Davao City-Digos over a 105-km segment of the planned 2,000-km Mindanao Railway which will connect other key cities in Mindanao such as Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iligan, Surigao and Zamboanga. The first phase is estimated to cost P31.544 billion.

In January, the cabinet’s economic team, including the Transportation and Public Works Secretaries, met with Chinese officials in Beijing regarding government-to-government projects which included flagship infrastructure projects such as the PNR South Line and the Mindanao Railway.

The government, which has made infrastructure its priority, has said it will reduce the use of public-private partnership (PPP) procurement which it says takes too long to implement. Instead, it prefers projects to be funded internally or through ODA or a mixture of these modes.

Also yesterday, Mr. Tugade -- who, along with Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia and Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar -- led the marking ceremony of the five stations of the North Line, part of the 17 stations that will connect Metro Manila to Central Luzon -- said he is hoping that construction of the line will be completed by 2020, ahead of the earlier target of 2021.

Construction of the P255-billion project will start by the last quarter of this year, and will be funded by ODA from Japan. The government signed a $2.37-billion loan from Japan for the North Line of the North-South Commuters Railway (NSCR) deal in November 2015.

The entire line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour, thus expected to cut the two-hour travel time from Metro Manila to Clark to just 55 minutes and will benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations.

The 12 other stations in the plan for the North Line are: Solis in Tondo; Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan; and Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, and Clark International Airport in Pampanga; as well as the proposed New Clark City.

“We hope to finish the term of President Duterte with at least 1,000 km of railway system all over the country,” Mr. Tugade said.

In a separate statement yesterday, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said the ongoing Detailed Engineering Design for the NSCR Project, conducted through JICA grant, is nearing completion.

JICA noted that the NSCR will use Japanese technology to ensure commuter safety, taking into consideration seismic factors as well as deploy low-emission electric trains for sustainability. Once implemented, the NSCR could be a “game changer” for the public transport system serving the area, where population density is 19,000 persons for every square kilometer, higher than that of Tokyo and many Asian cities.

The government earlier said commitments of investment and development assistance pledges by Japan and China to the Philippines are among the largest amounts announced by the two neighbors for a single country.

Japan pledged $9 billion and China committed $24 billion worth of investment and development assistance to the Philippines.

106-kilometer (km) Manila- Clark Railway project stations

Clark International Airport (proposed) - Clark International Airport, Clark Special Economic Zone, Angeles City
Clark Disneyland (proposed) - Clark Special Economic Zone, Angeles City
Balibago - Brgy. Balibago, Angeles City (Main gate - Clark Special Economic Zone)
Angeles (Culiat) - Angeles City (restored)
Tablante - Brgy. Baliti, San Fernando (opened in 1924)
Calulut - Brgy. Calulut, San Fernando City (flag stop)
San Fernando (San Fernando P) - San Fernando City (restored)
Santo Tomas - Santo Tomas, Pampanga (ruins)
Macaluc - Brgy. Lourdes, Minalin (flag stop)
Apalit - Apalit
Sulipan - Brgy. Sulipan, Apalit
Calumpit Norte - Brgy. Sulipan
Calumpit - Calumpit (originally closed, but still a stopping station)
Bagbag - Calumpit
Malolos - near the Bulacan Provincial Capitol, Malolos City
Dakila - Brgy. Dakila, Malolos
Santa Isabel - Brgy. Santa Isabel, Malolos
Tabang - Brgy, Tabang, Guiguinto
Guiguinto - Guiguinto (ruins)
Balagtas (Bigaa) - Balagtas
Bocaue (Bocaue) - Bocaue (ruins)
Marilao - Marilao
ITM - Imperial Textile Mills, Marilao
Meycauayan - Meycauayan City
Valenzuela (Polo) - near Gen. T. de Leon Street (C5), Barangay General T. de Leon, Valenzuela City
Acacia - Brgy. Acacia, Malabon City
Caloocan (Kalookan) - Sangandaan, Caloocan City (defunct)
Asistio Avenue - Grace Park, Caloocan City (defunct)
C-3 (5th Ave) - Grace Park, Caloocan City (defunct)
Solis - Tondo, Manila (defunct)
Tayuman - Tayuman Street, Tondo, Manila (defunct)
Tutuban (Manila/Tondo) - Tondo, Manila

JICA backs PHs North-South Commuter Railway

MANILA, June 27 (PIA) – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) backs the country’s North-South Commuter Railway project – the new railway network that incorporates the latest seismic design.

“The NSCR aims to boost connectivity of emerging growth centers to Metro Manila and improve the mobility of the Filipino commuters,” said JICA Chief Representative Susumu Ito.

Ito also said that once completed, NSCR can help address traffic congestion and improve the quality of life of people living and working in urban areas in Metro Manila.”

On Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), NEDA, JICA led the station marking of the first five of the 17 stations where the PNR Manila-Clark rail line will be built: Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban in Metro Manila.

According to the DOTr, the rail system stands to benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations. Its construction will start on the last quarter of 2017.

The 106-km railway project that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Clark International Airport, Angeles City is among the high-impact projects of President Rodrigo Duterte under the government's 'Build Build Build' infrastructure program.

The NSCR will use Japanese technology to ensure commuter safety through Japan's seismic design as well as low emission electric trains for sustainability.

Its Detailed Engineering Design includes preparing the railway’s detailed design including alignment of the NSCR line using the old PNR Right of Way, design of elevated structures, architectural designs of stations and depot, technical requirements for signaling system, and rolling stock.

The NSCR, together with the Philippines' Metro Manila Subway Project, is part of the mass transit backbone forming the North-South Corridor advocated in the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development Study for Metro Manila and its Surrounding Areas of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and JICA in 2014.

The Philippine government and JICA signed on the ¥241.99 billion (*US$1.992.17 billion) Loan Agreement for the NSCR Project on November 27, 2015. The Project, which aims to be operational by 2022, will significantly reduce travel time from two hours using traditional transportation to 35 minutes from Malolos to Tutuban. The NSCR will also provide punctual service for the benefit of the commuters.

JICA added that once implemented, the NSCR could be a game changer in the Philippines’ public transport system whose population density is 19,000 persons for every one square kilometer, higher than Tokyo and most Asian cities.

Since the 1960s, JICA has been supporting Philippine transport infrastructure system through hundreds of roads and bridges to encourage investments and sustain economic growth. (JICA/DOTR/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)

DOTr marks first PNR station in Bulacan

By Freddie Velez

MARILAO, Bulacan – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) marked its first PNR station in Bulacan last Monday, one of the stations of the 106-kilometer (km) Manila- Clark Railway project under President Duterte’s ‘Build Build Build’ infrastructure program.

“For the first time, a rail project would connect Manila to Central Luzon,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said.

Tugade added that DOTr hopes to finish the term of President Duterte with at least 1,000 kilometers of railway system all over the country.

The entire rail line would have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train could reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour. The rail line with a total of 17 stations would run from Tutuban passing through Marilao and Malolos and all the way to the Clark International Airport and the proposed New Clark City in Pampanga.

Aside from significantly reducing the two to three hours travel time from Manila to Clark to just 55 minutes, the rail project is seen to decongest Metro Manila and spur development in its peripheries.

“This project would ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga to travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Manila” shares Philippine National Railways (PNR) general manager Jun Magno.

The PNR North railway project is one of the 61 infrastructure projects under the ‘Build Build Build’ infrastructure program of the Duterte administration. Construction would begin in the last quarter of 2017 with target completion in 2021. The project costing P255 billion would be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan.

On its first year of operations, about 350,000 passengers daily would benefit from the Manila-Clark Railway project.

Aside from Tugade and Magno, present during the PNR North Station Marking event were Japan’s Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, PNR director general Roberto Lastimoso and Japan International Cooperation Agency chief representative Susumo Ito.

The five of the 17 stations that were marked in a ceremony last Monday include Meycauayan in Bulacan as well as Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban in Manila.

DOTR fast-tracks railway project

The Department of Transportation (DOTR) is tapping technical and financial assistance from Japan and China to fast-track the completion of the North- South Commuter Railway (NSCR), a railway project from Metro Manila to Clark, Pampanga and to Bicol region.

Arthur Tugade, DOTR secretary, said the Duterte administration’s economic cluster had decided to partner with Japan for the northern segment and with China for the southern segment.

“We would like to have partnership with countries using their own technologies. What the economic cluster decided (on is for) the group of Luzon will go to the Japanese government, that group… Bicol hopefully will go to the Chinese government, and also Mindanao,” Tugade said.

This will help fast-track the project completion and will avoid delay.

“If we put (two) systems in one place, I will have a problem of mutual relevance and compatibility,” Tugade said.

“I want to start activities that are not covered by legal requirements of procurement and bidding, (otherwise) I will lose time… If I can do certain things that are not required at this time (such as) rigid government requirement why don’t we just start it?” he added.

The north line of the NSCR has been practically firmed up as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said the ongoing detailed engineering design for the NSCR project, conducted through JICA grant, is nearing completion.

Yesterday, the DOTR has in fact unveiled the markers for the location of five of the 17 stations of this portion of the rail, also known as Manila-Clark Railway Project or the Philippine National Railways (PNR) north.

These stations are in Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan and Tutuban in Metro Manila.

“We mark (the stations), then we will start construction. We hope to start the construction in the fourth quarter of this year,” Tugade said .

The NSCR north line, a 106-kilometer line connecting Manila to Central Luzon will cut down travel time by as much as 70 percent.

With this railway project, commuters can travel from Tutuban to Clark in about an hour or 55 minutes, a significant reduction from the current two to three hours.

The rail line will have a total of 17 stations that will run from Tutuban passing through Marilao and Malolos and all the way to the Clark International Airport and the proposed New Clark City in Tarlac.

This will be the first time a commuter rail project will be extended to Central Luzon. This project is expected to decongest Metro Manila and spur development in the peripheries of Metro Manila.

“We hope to finish the term of President Duterte with at least 1,000 kilometers of railway system all over the country,” said Tugade.

This portion costs about P255 billion and will be funded by official development assistance from Japan.

The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.

JICA’s detailed engineering design for the NSCR project identified the locations of, and finalized the designs of, all the future stations.

“The NSCR aims to boost connectivity of emerging growth centers to Metro Manila and improve the mobility of the Filipino commuters,” said Susumu Ito, JICA chief representative. “Once completed, it can help address traffic congestion and improve the quality of life of people living and working in urban areas in Metro Manila,” Ito added.

JICA said the NSCR will use Japanese technology to ensure commuter safety through Japan’s seismic design as well as low emission electric trains for sustainability.

The NSCR’s detailed engineering design includes preparing the railway’s detailed design including alignment of the NSCR line, design of elevated structures, architectural designs of stations and depot, technical requirements for signaling system and rolling stock.

The NSCR, together with the Metro Manila Subway Project, is part of the mass transit backbone forming the North-South Corridor advocated in the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development Study for Metro Manila and its Surrounding Areas of the National Economic Development Authority and JICA in 2014.

The roadmap is also currently being updated.

The Philippine government and JICA signed on the ¥241.99-billion ($1.992.17 billion) loan agreement for the NSCR Project in Nov. 27, 2015.

The project, which aims to be operational by 2022, will significantly reduce travel time from two hours using traditional transportation to 35 minutes from Malolos to Tutuban.

The NSCR will also provide punctual service for the benefit of the commuters.

JICA said once implemented, the NSCR could be a game changer in the Philippines’ public transport system whose population density is 19,000 persons for every one square kilometer, higher than Tokyo and most Asian cities.

Since the 1960s, JICA has been supporting Philippine transport infrastructure system through hundreds of roads and bridges to encourage investments and sustain economic growth.

The PNR North railway project is one of the 61 infrastructure projects under the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration.

It will begin construction later this year and targeted for completion in 2021. It is designed to accommodate 350,000 passengers daily on its opening year.

Other rail projects include PNR South (Manila – Los Baños – Bicol) and Mindanao Railway. MRT-7, LRT-2 East Extension, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension projects are all undergoing construction.

NSCR is one of the public-private partnership project left unfinished by the previous administration.

The South Line portion was first opened for bidding in 2015 where five bidders among them giant conglomerates had expressed interest.

The South Line portion which intends to revive the operation going of PNR oldest rail system in Southeast Asia to Bicol region.

It was proposed to build a 56-kilometer commuter rail service, for daily riders on the Tutuban, Manila to Calamba, Laguna route . The 478-kilometer for Long-Haul Rail service, for travelers on the Tutuban, Manila to Legazpi, Albay route 58 kilometers from Calamba, Laguna to Batangas City, Batangas 117 kilometers from Legazpi, Albay to Matnog, Sorsogon . (M. Iglesias)

Coca-Cola tapped for LRT-1stations improvement project

The Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) said on Friday it has signed an agreement with Coca-Cola Philippines to redesign all its LRT-1 stations as part of the ongoing P500-million Station Improvement Project (SIP).

The partnership between LRMC and Coca-Cola falls under SIP’s Station Domination project, which involves tapping private companies to contribute to LRMC’s ongoing efforts to improve the structure and facilities of its stations. Coca-Cola is the first private company that signed up for the project. It was launched on June 22 and will be in effect for a year.

“Through Station Domination, the LRT-1 central station will be dressed up in Coca-Cola’s iconic bottle and red color. The new aesthetic goes hand-in-hand with the upgrades LRMC has implemented in the station, which include the installation of LED lights, repaired ceilings, and refreshed painting works. Through the partnership, Coca-Cola will be adding vibrance and energy to a commuter’s journey,” LRMC said in a statement.

To date, the central station has been refurbished just like the Dorotheo Jose station. Digital ad screens and a video wall has been installed. The flooring, ceiling and walls have been repainted.

PHAR, the exclusive ancillary revenue partner of LRMC, which made the deal possible said that they have chosen Coca-Cola because of it being “intertwined with the Filipino DNA.”

Monday, June 26, 2017

DOTr seeks China funding for PNR south Line

MANILA — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to tap a loan from the Chinese government to build a railway project linking Manila to Bicol province, according to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.

The planned connection, once part of the Public Private Partnership pipeline before the shift to overseas development assistance funding, will be done via a massive southern railway project split into separate components by the Philippine National Railways.

The South Long Haul project, a P151-billion train line that spans 581 kilometres, will run through Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon.

There will also be a short-haul component, called the PNR South Commuter. The government’s “build build build” online infrastructure portal identified this as a P134-billion train line that would span 72 kilometers and link Manila and Los Baños, Laguna.

Tugade said they were targeting loan deals from China to fund those projects.

“We would like to have partnership with countries using their own technologies,” Tugade told reporters on Monday at the sidelines of a station marking event for the PNR’s P255-billion Manila to Clark Railway project.

“It stands with rhyme and reason that we spread out the market,” Tugade added.

In line with this, the DOTr is tapping the Japan International Cooperation Agency for its Manila-Clark train project, which it hopes to complete before the end of 2021.

The project will span 106 kilometers and will have stations in Tutuban (Manila), Solis, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport, and the proposed New Clark City.

A railway line to Clark would also bolster passenger traffic at the Clark International Airport, still significantly under-utlized despite its strategic location as an alternative to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino
International Airport, which is suffering from congestion issues.

The Philippine government and JICA already signed an almost $2-billion loan agreement for the Tutuban to Malolos stretch in 2015.

On Monday, the DOTr held a ceremonial marking event for five stations of the Manila-Clark railway line. The stations are Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban.

JICA chief representative Susumu Ito said the project would “boost connectivity of emerging growth centers to Metro Manila and improve the mobility of the Filipino commuters.”

“Once completed, it can help address traffic congestion and improve the quality of life of people living and working in urban areas in Metro Manila,” he said.

The DOTr said the Manila-Clark railway would cut the usual two-hour trip to 55 minutes. The government expects the project to cater to an initial 350,000 passengers per day.

This project is expected to start construction by the end of 2017. The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour. SFM

http://business.inquirer.net/232058/dotr-seeks-china-funding-pnr-south-line

17 stations of Manila-Clark Railway announced

(UPDATED) The Department of Transportation says it aims to start the construction of the railway system in the last quarter of 2017 and finish it by 2021
By Chrisee Dela Paz
Published Sun, Jun 25, 2017 10:35 PM

(UPDATED) – Tutuban, Tondo, Caloocan, and Valenzuela in Metro Manila, as well as Meycauayan and Marilao in Bulacan, will be the first 6 stations of a mass transit railway that will connect commuters from Manila to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

This was announced by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) a day ahead of a station marking event for the P225-billion Manila-Clark Railway, which will be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from Japan.

The project that will once again connect Central Luzon and Metro Manila by rail "will be completed under the Duterte administration," Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement on Sunday, June 25.

Eleven other stations are Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, and Calumpit in Bulacan, plus Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, and Clark International Airport in Pampanga, and the proposed New Clark City in Tarlac.

The 106-kilometer railway project is one of the "high-impact projects" of President Rodrigo Duterte under the government's "Build Build Build" infrastructure program.

With this rail project, the DOTr aims to cut the two-hour travel time from Manila to Clark to 55 minutes. (READ: Tugade to formalize Manila-Clark train plan in 90 days)

"The rail system stands to benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations," said the transportation department.

Completed in 2021

Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn Magno said the project is seen to decongest Metro Manila and further spread economic gains.

"This project will ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga who travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Metro Manila," Magno said.

According to the DOTr, the project will start construction in the last quarter of 2017 and will be completed by the last quarter of 2021.

The whole line will have 13 train sets with 8 cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour.

In June 2016, Duterte told the media that Chinese diplomats offered to fund and build the project in two years. A year later, the transportation department said the project would be funded through ODA from Japan. – Rappler.com

DoTr lays out first five stations along Clark railway

THE GOVERNMENT will lead today the marking of the stations for its planned P255-billion railway project from Manila to Clark, part of an effort to decongest Metro Manila and develop infrastructure in Central Luzon.
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) said yesterday that construction will start in the last quarter of 2017 and will be completed by the last quarter of 2021.

Today, the DoTr will mark five stations of the 106 kilometer (km) Manila-Clark Railway Project: Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban in Metro Manila.

“The project... will be completed under the Duterte administration,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who was previously president of Clark Development Corp., was quoted as saying.

The project will cost P255 billion and will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan.

The entire line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour. The rail project is expected to cut the two-hour travel time from metro Manila to Clark to just 55 minutes.

The DoTr said the railway line will benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations.

The 12 other stations in the plan are: Solis in Tondo; Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan; and Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, and Clark International Airport in Pampanga; as well as the proposed New Clark City.

Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn B. Magno said the project is expected to decongest Metro Manila and spread economic gains throughout the country.

“This project will ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga who travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Metro Manila,” Mr. Magno was quoted as saying.

The government has been promoting Clark as an alternative gateway to help decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which has been reporting passenger traffic well above its capacity.

NAIA accounts for nearly 90% of all domestic passengers in the Philippines and more than 80% of all international passengers.

Last week, Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation Manuel Antonio L. Tamayo said unsolicited proposals for various airport projects will have to take a back seat as the government prioritizes development of the Sangley and Clark airports to immediately decongest NAIA.

The government will spend around P600 to P700 million for the Sangley Airport development and it will also start building a new passenger terminal at the Pampanga airport this year, implementing the Aeroports de Paris masterplan prepared for Clark International Airport in 2015.

Business groups have earlier recommended building a “fast train” to connect the two gateways and make it easier for passengers to transfer from one airport to the other and for the proposed Manila-Clark rail to be extended to NAIA, instead of terminating at Tutuban.

The government, which has made infrastructure its priority, has said it will reduce the use of public-private partnership procurement which it says takes too long to implement. Instead, it prefers projects to be funded internally or through ODA or a mixture of these modes.

NAIA, the fifth-largest airport in Southeast Asia, handled 39.5 million passengers in 2016, well over its designed capacity of 30.5 million passengers per year. -- Imee Charlee C. Delavin

Sunday, June 25, 2017

MPIC readies C5 Expressway bid

NLEx Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., is set to submit next month an unsolicited proposal to build a P50-billion elevated expressway along Circumferential Road 5, connecting Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City to Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway or Cavitex.

“We are finalizing the feasibility study. Maybe, we will submit it by July to the Department of Public Works and Highways,” NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said.

“Before, it was under TRB [Toll Regulatory Board]. It was an extension of our franchise. Now, it will be unsolicited. But because it will now be unsolicited, we have to refine the study,” he said.

Franco earlier said the company needed to complete first the P8.6-billion NLEx-C5 Link project before undertaking a new elevated expressway along C5 under an unsolicited mode.

The 7.85-kilometer NLEx-C5 Link will start from the end of Segment 8.1 of North Luzon Expressway at Mindanao Ave. and end at Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City.

The C5 Link aims to decongest Metro Manila as it would provide alternative access to mainline North Luzon Expressway further east of Metro Manila, bypassing Edsa and Balintawak toll plaza.
http://www.thestandard.com.ph/business/biz-plus/240268/mpic-readies-c5-expressway-bid.html

DOTr to mark 5 stations of Manila-Clark railway project

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will lead Monday (June 26) the Station Marking of five stations of the Manila-Clark Railway Project, the line that will connect Manila to Central Luzon.

The 106-km railway project running from Tutuban, Manila to Clark, Pampanga, is among the high-impact projects of President Rodrigo Duterte under the government’s ‘Build Build Build’ infrastructure program.

Five of the 17 stations will be marked in a ceremony:
• Marilao
• Meycauayan
• Valenzuela
• Caloocan
• Tutuban

“This project used to be just something spoken about. But under the Duterte administration, we will make this dream come true,” DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said, in Filipino. “For the first time, a rail project will connect Manila to Central Luzon and it will be completed under the Duterte administration.”

With this rail project, the 2-hour travel time from Manila to Clark will be cut down to just 55 minutes. The rail system stands to benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations.

Apart from the marked stations, the 12 other stations are: Solis, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport, and the proposed New Clark City in Pampanga.

Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn Magno said the project is seen to decongest Metro Manila and spread economic gains throughout the country.

“This project will ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga who travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Metro Manila,” Magno said.

According to the DOTr, the project will start construction in the last quarter of 2017 and will be completed by the last quarter of 2021.

The project costs P255 billion and will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan. The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.

Marilao, Meycauayan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Tutuban railway stations to be marked

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will lead Monday, June 26, the marking of the five stations of the Manila-Clark Railway Project, the line that will connect Manila to Central Luzon.

The five of the 17 stations that will be marked in a ceremony include Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Tutuban in Metro Manila. The 12 other stations are: Solis, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, Clark International Airport, and the proposed New Clark City in Pampanga.

The 106-km railway project that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Clark, Pampanga is among the high-impact projects of President Rodrigo Duterte under the government’s ‘Build Build Build’ infrastructure program.

“Itong malaking proyektong ito, dati ay usap-usapan lang. Ngunit sa administrasyong Duterte, gagawin natin itong katotohanan,” DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said. “For the first time, a rail project will connect Manila to Central Luzon and it will be completed under the Duterte administration.”

With this rail project, the two-hour travel time from Manila to Clark will be cut down to just 55 minutes. The rail system stands to benefit 350,000 passengers daily on its first year of operations.

Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn Magno said the project is seen to decongest Metro Manila and spread economic gains throughout the country.

“This project will ease traffic congestion and help thousands of commuters coming from Bulacan and Pampanga who travel daily to their workplaces or schools in Metro Manila,” Magno said.

According to the DOTr, the project will start construction in the last quarter of 2017 and will be completed by the last quarter of 2021 (initial phase).

The project costs PHP 255 billion (105 billion for Tutuban-Malolos, 150 billion for Malolos-Clark) and will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Japan. The whole line will have 13 train sets with eight cars or coaches per train set. Each train can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.

LRT-MRT common station set for groundbreaking In September

The construction of the common station that will connect the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) will start earlier than expected or exactly one year after the dispute that had stalled the project for seven years due to cost overruns and alleged corruption had been resolved.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the government is now gearing up for the groundbreaking of the Common Station project in September, which he had originally moved to August from the December target.

Expected to be operational by April 2019, the common station that will link LRT Line 1 and MRT Lines 3 and 7 is a joint project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), 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).

“I have talked to some people about the common station. It’s supposed to break ground in December. That is what we announced. But after talking to some leaders in government including in Congress, more or less, we already agreed that the common station will be built based in DOTr’s recommendation,” Tugade told Business Bulletin.

“Originally, I want to ground break that in August but they said it’s the ghost month. So we decided to move it to September,” he added.

Ghost month is a Chinese festival celebrated on the seventh month of the lunar calendar or in August. During this time, investors, mostly Chinese, avoid doing major investment decisions.

It was in January this year when the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the common station project has been finally signed after being stalled for many years.

The Common Station project was first brought to the table in 2009. Shortly after that, SMPH forged a R200-million contract with LRTA for the station to be built in front of The Annex at SM City North EDSA.

Four years later, the DOTr, formerly the Department of Transportation and Telecommunications (DOTC), came up with a decision to instead build the station near Ayala Land, Inc.’s Trinoma mall, a decision that was eventually disputed by SMPH.

The dispute led to a Supreme Court order temporarily stopping the development of the project and was eventually shelved.

The Common Station at the TriNoma will connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, and the future MRT-7 line. The project will also involve 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 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.

Approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board were the P62.7-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7) project; P64.9-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) South Extension Project; and the P1.4-billion LRT Line 1 North Extension Project.

LRT 1 currently runs from Baclaran to Roosevelt in Quezon City, while the MRT 3 runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Construction of Cavite-Laguna Expressway begins

DPWH breaks ground in Laguna section of CALAX
People living in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna will soon be able to travel with ease. Recently, the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) broke ground on the Laguna section of the upcoming Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar stated that the 18-kilometer CALAX will have eight interchanges and one main toll barrier. When completed, CALAX is expected to cut travel time between CAVITEX and SLEX by 45 minutes.

“The road construction project from Tirona Highway to the end of Greenfield near Mamplasan Exit in Laguna will be closely monitored so that by 2020, our travel time from CAVITEX to SLEX will be reduced to only 45 minutes,” said Villar.

In addition to cutting travel time, Villar also noted that the construction of CALAX will reduce traffic congestion along Governor's Drive, Aguinaldo Highway and the Santa Rosa – Tagaytay Road.

Construction of Cavite-Laguna Expressway begins

The project is part of the 45-kilometer closed system modern tolled expressway that was awarded by the DPWH to MPCALA Holdings, Inc. of the Metro Pacific Group. The investment holding company won the bidding under the government's Public-Private-Parntership Program (PPP).

“Knowing what is at stake with this project that will benefit many generations to come, DPWH will give it all to deliver everything we can and finish the project by 2020,” added Villar.

The CALAX project will require a total investment of PhP 35.425 billion and will be fully funded by MPCALA.

MPIC begins construction of P34.5-B Calax highway

INFRASTRUCTURE conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) will once again flex its financial muscle to construct a multibillion-peso 45-kilometer superhighway that will link two provinces in the Southern Tagalog region.

During the groundbreaking ceremonies for the P34.5-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax), Luigi L. Bautista, who sits as president at MPCala Holdings Inc., said the group has tapped as much as five banks to help finance the project.

A total of P23.6 billion will be sourced from local banks, while the balance will be funded through equity. “Our financial advisor recommended four or five banks. They will all contribute to the syndicated loan we are closing,” he added in a mix of English and the vernacular. “We should be closing the deal this month.”

Construction works for the first section of the expressway, the 18-km segment in Laguna, started on Monday. Metro Pacific tapped DM Consunji Inc. for the construction of the Laguna portion, while the Cavite segment will be undertaken by Leighton Contractors Philippines Inc.

“We have talked about this Calax project for many years in the previous administration. We’re glad this day has come for us to begin this golden age of infrastructure,” Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

Bautista said an estimated 5,000 jobs will be created with the construction of the Calax for three years and throughout its concession period.

Employment will be generated, not only by those who will design, build and operate the facility, but also economic opportunities for those who invest, work, live or commute around the Cavite-Laguna corridor.

“The road network in Cavite and Laguna will be radically transformed—as will transportation, housing and employment opportunities—for people along the expressway and surrounding areas,” Bautista added.

The P34.5-billion facility will start from Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) in Kawit, Cavite, and end at the South Luzon Expressway (Slex)-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna. The project will involve building a four-lane expressway from these two points through congested residential and industrial areas in Kawit, Imus, General Trias, Dasmariñas and Silang in Cavite, through to Santa Rosa and Biñan in Laguna.

The project will have eight interchanges and one main toll barrier.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2020, while operations and maintenance would be from 2020 to 2050.

“The road-construction project from Tirona Highway to the end of Greenfield near Mamplasan Exit, Laguna, will be closely monitored, so that by 2020, our travel time from Cavitex to Slex will be reduced to only 45 minutes,” Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said.

A priority project of the government’s thrust for infrastructure building, Calax will ease travel through the fast-growing areas of Kawit, Imus, General Trias, Dasmariñas and Silang in Cavite, as well as Santa Rosa and Biñan in Laguna, and provide a convenient new corridor for a safe and reliable commute through Southern Tagalog.

Pangilinan said his group will deliver everything required of the company. However, he reminded the government to also do its part.

“Just give us the right of way, and we’ll give you the road. We will finish this before President Duterte’s term ends. All of these projects, we promised to Duterte and his Cabinet way ahead of 2022—that is a promise,” he added. Metro Pacific Tollways is the largest toll road operator in the Philippines. Its portfolio of expressways include the North Luzon, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac, the Manila-Cavite Toll and the future Cebu-Cordova Link Expressways.

Friday, June 16, 2017

PH’s FIRST SUBWAY SYSTEM GETS UNDERWAY

The Metro Manila Subway Project may be an ambitious undertaking, but it is moving forward.

At the seventh Steering Committee Meeting presided by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade last week, partners from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) presented updates on the Feasibility Study being conducted on the Metro Manila Subway Project.

Among the issues discussed were timelines, alignment, and organizational arrangements. Sec. Tugade reiterated his directive that he wants the project to be operational before the end of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term.

“I don’t want bola-bola. I want this project finished,” Tugade said.

Apart from fast-tracking the project, he also proposed for the subway to extend all the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

"I need to have that connectivity. I have a big problem with NAIA because of the projected increase in volume of passengers," he said.

The subway alignment originally has 13 stations, starting from Mindanao Avenue and ending at FTI Taguig. This is seen to cut travel time from Quezon City to Taguig to just 31 minutes.

Sec. Tugade also proposed a training facility for railway operators to which JICA responded positively. JICA also presented possible organizational arrangements to ensure that the subway will be constructed, operated, and maintained by a competent and dedicated team of certified operators and experts.

Apart from a world-class design, the proposed subway system will have water-stop panels, doors, and high-level entrance for flood prevention, earthquake detection, and a train stop system just like the subways in Tokyo.

At the end of the meeting, a minutes of discussion was signed by Sec. Tugade and JICA.

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar, Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vince Dizon, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, representatives from the National Economic Development Authority, and officials of the Embassy of Japan were also present at the signing.

President Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to sign a loan agreement for the Mega Manila Subway Project during the latter’s visit to the Philippines in November.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

SMC to triple profit by 2020

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) is aiming to triple its net income by 2020, as the diversified conglomerate completes its major tollway projects in the next three years, and finishes making payments for three power plants.

SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said the bulk of its income would come from tollways in the next few years.

“Our 2016 income was basically coming from our beer, food, packaging, and our Petron operations... So I think if we are lucky, by year 2020 and up, our net income should triple by then,” Mr. Ang said during the firm’s annual stockholders’ meeting in Pasig City.

In 2016, the conglomerate’s earnings soared to P52 billion, 80% higher than the P28.99 billion it generated in the previous year.

SMC said it is on track to complete projects such as the highway connecting the South Luzon Expressway to Lucena, Quezon; the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), and the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEx-SLEx) connector road or Skyway Stage 3, as well as the Metro Rail Transit Line 7, by 2019.

MRT-7 to bring relief to commuters – SMC

FOOD-BASED conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which will serve as the sole concessionaire of the multibillion peso Metro Rail Transit-7 project connecting Quezon City to Bulacan province north of Manila, assured the commuting public of “great relief” when the transport facility becomes operational in 2020.

MRT-7 is expected to accommodate 850, 000 passengers a day.

“It will decongest Metro Manila and make Bulacan a more viable location for residential developments, call centers and BPO businesses,” SMC Chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr said during a stockholders’ meeting on Tuesday.

The P69.30-billion MRT-7 project includes the construction of 14 stations that will connect North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte town in Bulacan.

SMc also said Bulacan province will benefit from the incoming investment and the additional infrastructure in the area.

“It will inconvenience the public in a while but once it is completed, there will be great relief. Traveling from Quezon City to Bulacan would already cost less,” SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang told reporters later at a news conference.

The Regalado Highway in Quezon City has been closed temporarily to give way to the construction of MRT-7, which is expected to be completed in 2019.

Ang said the Skyway 3 connecting Buendia to Balintawak will be finished by the last quarter of 2019, and the construction of the expressway connecting Rosario to La Union will be finished next year.

SMC is also hopeful of connecting the South Luzon Expressway to Tagaytay, Ang added.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

SMC set to extend Skyway to San Jose del Monte City

San Miguel Corp. said it plans to start the construction of Skyway Stage 4―a 58-kilometer expressway that will begin at the existing Skyway to San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan province via C5.

The conglomerate said it was one of the projects that were part of strategy to invest in new growth sectors while strengthening core businesses, ten years after its diversification into high-growth industries from being a food and beverage conglomerate.

San Miguel said in an annual report that would be presented during the annual stockholders’ meeting Tuesday it would continue to add scale to new businesses by building additional power plants and toll roads.

The conglomerate said that over the next there years, its toll road network was expected to reach 308 kilometers, accounting for 54 percent of the country’s total road network, up from the current 48 percent.

The conglomerate said it would also begin work on South Luzon Expressway Tollroad 4―a 57-km, four-lane toll road that will extend the existing South Luzon Expressway from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City in Quezon province.

It is also currently in the process of constructing Skyway Stage 3, the remaining section of Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, the modernization of the Boracay Airport and construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 and the Bulacan bulk water projects.

San Miguel said it would also expand its core business. Units San Miguel Brewery Inc. and San Miguel Pure Foods Company Inc. started executing their respective expansion programs.

This involves the construction of new facilities and new manufacturing lines in key regions across the Philippines.

San Miguel said the diversification into new sectors like power, infrastructure, oil refining and petrochemicals made it more resilient and more profitable.

San Miguel registered record consolidated revenues of P685.3 billion and operating income of P99.7 billion in 2016. Net income reached P52 billion, up by 80 percent from 2015.

“Today, our portfolio is a healthy balance of businesses that expand our revenue stream and overall impact on our markets. Through our products and services, we help people make the most of their lives,” San Miguel said.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

MPIC keen on pursuing MRT-3 O&M deal

Infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) on Thursday said it is keen on pursuing a deal with the government on the operations and maintenance (O&M) of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).

"One project that we're really keen to work with the government is to work on MRT-3. So I would hope that they would be open to some sort of cooperation," MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters in Makati City.

MPIC first proposed the idea of investing $500 million in the rehabilitation of MRT-3 in 2011. The proposal was relayed to then-Department of Transportation and Communications.

It was rejected by the government as it would entail a fare hike.

"We're in the process of updating it, the proposal itself," Pangilinan said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is now interested in buying out Metro Rail Transit Corp. – MRT-3's private sector operator – before privatizing the mass rail system. — VDS, GMA News
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/612909/mpic-keen-on-pursuing-mrt-3-o-amp-m-deal/story/#sthash.qCiLICa7.dpuf

LRMC embarks on restoration program for LRT 1 vehicles

While waiting for the government to procure 120 new light rail vehicles (LRVs), Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) private operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) has embarked on a P1-billion program to restore 25 LRVs to expand its current fleet from 77 (when the company took over in September 2015) to 102 at the end of last month.
“With the expanded fleet, we can implement a new train timetable increasing the number of trips on weekdays from 498 to 554 trips daily,” announced LRMC president and chief executive officer Rogelio L. Singson. “This will result to shorter queuing time and reduced headway for our passengers.”
Already, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) administrator Reynaldo Berroya and deputy administrator Felix Leyson has welcomed the proposal for the new timetable to add more trips, he disclosed.
LRMC’s restoration program included the sourcing of spare parts from the original European manufacturers of the 32-year old Generation 1 trains and the 18-year old Generation 2 trains.
“Our engineers successfully gained the confidence of European spare parts manufacturers such as Alstom, Gerkens and Knorr Bremse for the supply of electromechanical parts essential to restore the LRVs,” Singson added.“With 102 LRVs available as of May 31, we can now serve the passengers better with increased capacity and shorter waiting time.”
Following the restoration of LRVs, LRMC also embarked on body repair of 43 Gen 1 trains to further improve passenger comfort. The work included the repair of corroded exterior walls and floorings. To date, the old rail system has almost been fully replaced ahead of schedule.
LRMC is a joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation (MPLRC), Ayala Corporation’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra), and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd. (MIHPL).

Friday, June 9, 2017

Cavitex C5 South Link to serve Parañaque, Cavite motorists by 2019

7.7-km Cavitex C5 South Link to start this year; to be completed 2019

Pending right-of-way issues and construction traffic management plans, the C5 South Link Expressway of Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (CIC) is set to commence construction this year.

The 7.7-kilometer long expressway will connect C5 road to the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway and is expected to be fully operational by 2019. It will include a 2x3 lane carriageway, an R1 Expressway (Coastal Road) interchange, Sucat toll barrier, Merville ramp and a flyover.

Phase 1 is the construction of a flyover that will connect C5 to Merville Subdivision in Paranaque and will cost Php 2.5 billion.

Phase 2 connects Merville Subdivision to Cavitex, virtually linking Paranaque to the province of Cavite and will cost Php 7.5 billion.

C5 South Link Expressway will also connect to R1 Expressway in order to speed up the commute of motorists and travelers from Paranaque, Las Pinas and Cavite by allowing them to bypass EDSA.

An estimated 45,000 vehicle traffic per day will be serviced by the C5 South Link Expressway and that will count on top of the current 130,000 vehicles already using Cavitex on a daily basis.

“C5 South Link is part of the solution to the traffic congestion in Paranaque, Las Pinas and Metro Manila in general,” said CIC president Luigi Bautista.

The long-term plan will also include the connection of C5 South Link Expressway to the Cavite-Laguna Expressway that is slated to be open by 2020.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Metro Pacific interested in possible LRT-2 O&M auction

THE METRO PACIFIC group is open to participating in the bidding should the government decide to privatize the operations and maintenance (O&M) of Light Rail Transit (LRT)-2.
Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Reynaldo I. Berroya said last week that there are ongoing discussions to privatize the operations and maintenance of LRT-2 which could be decided in its next “two or three board meetings.”
“I think that’s welcome news, we’d be really interested to take a look at it. They just broke ground on the extension,” Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said in a chance interview when asked whether the group is open to the possibility of bidding for the project should government pursue that path for the mass rail system.
The government recently broke ground on the LRT-2 East extension project targeted for completion by August 2018, which will extend the rail system by two stations to Antipolo. The two new stations will be built: Emerald station, in front of Robinsons Metro East and Sta. Lucia in Cainta; and the Masinag station, at Masinag Junction in Antipolo City.
On the other end of LRT-2 -- which will run from Recto to Pier 4 -- the Department of Transportation has a target of starting construction by the end of this year.
MPIC is part of the Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) which operates and maintains the LRT-1 which runs from Baclaran in Pasay to Roosevelt in Quezon City.
Mr. Berroya said last week that aside from discussions on the possibility of privatizing LRT-2, LRTA is also reviewing the existing concession of LRT-1.
“There are many issues, including many breaches of the concession agreement. The government bears some responsibility, as in the case of the shortcomings of 120 rail cars that have not been turned over to the concessionaire, which is why there is a need for a review, which will cover everything,” the LRTA chief said.
The ongoing review will not however consider any cancellation of existing concessions.
“We haven’t reached that point, we’re carefully studying the advantages to the government since the direction is privatization,” he added.
The 120 new coaches are set to be deployed to the LRT-1 Cavite Extension project. It will be operated in 30 four-car train sets, allowing the line to accommodate 750,000 passengers daily, from just around 500,000 at present, the Transportation department earlier said.
LRMC is a consortium of MPIC, Ayala Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. which bagged in September 2015 the P64.9-billion LRT-1 Cavite Extension public-private partnership project, which will extend the train line from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite. It will operate and maintain LRT-1 for 32 years.
The LRT-1 Cavite Extension project meanwhile involves rehabilitation of the 21-kilometer (km) line and an 11.7-km extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.
MPIC is involved in the tollways, water, power, health care, rail, and logistics business.
Its shares slipped to P6.36 from P6.37 previously.
MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.