MoA on common station ‘onerous, unconstitutional’ posted January 26, 2017 at 12:01 am by Maricel Cruz

SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said the Memorandum of Agreement signed last week on the P2.8-billion MRT-LRT common station in Quezon City was “onerous and unconstitutional.”


At a congressional hearing conducted by the House committee on transportation, Alvarez, a former DoTC secretary, also lambasted the Department of Transportation officials for insisting on the common station to be built near Trinoma Mall of the Ayala Land to advance the interests of major businessmen.

Alvarez said the common station could not operate without securing first a legislative franchise from Congress.

But Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Raoul Creencia said the DOTr followed the Build-Operate-Transfer Law which provides for a “concession agreement.”

“Railways business involves public utility. You must have a legislative franchise to operate a public utility business,” Alvarez said in the hearing.

Alvarez also threatened to launch a congressional investigation on the matter should the DOTr insist on the proposal.

Alvarez warned the DOTr officials might be facing cases in court if they insisted on the onerous contract.

Alvarez doubted the DOTr’s common station project that was perfected during the Aquino administration.

“Aren’t you pulling our legs there? It might be that business interests were being accommodated here,” Alvarez said in Filipino.

Creencia told the House panel the common station proposal had gone thru “technical” studies to ensure “convenience” of the riding public.

But Alvarez was not convinced with Creencia’s explanation, saying “You’re wasting our time. The technical study, that is a justification for the things you want to be done.”

The agreement was signed last week by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar with LRT Authority Administrator Reynaldo Berroya, SM Prime Holdings Inc. executive chairman Hans Sy, Light Rail Manila Corp. vice chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang and North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp. represented by Ayala Land Inc. vice chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the proposed common station, per the MoA design, would cost the government P2.8 billion, saying this cost is higher than the previously approved designs.

“We would like to revisit this new design as we hope to avoid the blunder of the Gateway Mall connection [under the LRT 2], where commuters have to walk approximately 700 meters to transfer from MRT Line 3 to LRT Line 2. This imposes an unjustifiable inconvenience to commuters, and strongly implies no other persuasive reason but corporate greed,” Suarez told a news conference.

In 2009, Suarez said the National Economic Development Authority Investment Coordinating Council approved DoTC’s common station project proposal originally located in SM City North Edsa Annex.

“This would have been an ideal location because all roads converge in the North Edsa. During the last administration, the common station was moved to Trinoma Mall. P1.4 billion was approved on November 21, 2013, by the Neda Board chaired by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III. A Temporary Restraining Order was issued but we understand this will be lifted in light of the recently signed MOA,” Suarez said.

Filinvest City: Rise of the CBD of the South

The Filinvest Group, a pioneer in masterplanned developments, continues to break new ground with the sustained development of Filinvest City. As a world-class central business district south of Metro Manila, Filinvest City fulfills the legacy of its founder Andrew Gotianun, Sr.
From humble beginnings, Filinvest now boasts of a diverse portfolio of notable projects all over the country. What started as a mission to fulfill the simple dream of Filipinos to own a house is now one of the country’s formidable real estate developers.
In 1995, the Gotianuns developed a 244-hectare lot in Alabang and established it into what is now the CBD of the South.
“It was a bold move indeed to build a CBD in the South,” said Filinvest Alabang Inc. EVP Catherine Ilagan. “Back then, Alabang was known as a bedroom community and was not considered for urban development. Now, Filinvest City is regarded as a prime urban development in Metro Manila.”
Masterplanned township
Filinvest City serves as a showcase of the founder’s vision. A masterplanned township, it has been enjoying unprecedented growth with the continuous construction of large-scale multi-use developments, office structures, as well as residential projects catering to different market segments.
Situated at the heart of Filinvest City is Festival Mall. A flagship of Filinvest’s LifeMalls category, Festival Mall continues its growth with the completion of a new wing with over 150,000 additional square meters.
That includes a four-storey Landmark Department Store, bolstering it as the biggest regional mall with a total of 321,768 sqm of shopping and dining options apt for every lifestyle need.
Filinvest City is also home to some of the country’s premiere institutions and global companies like Filinvest’s own Crimson Hotel, Palms Country Club and other locators like Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Insular Life, Bellevue Hotel, and the Northgate Cyberzone – Filinvest’s 24/7 IT Campus, a PEZA-registered Ecozone that houses various business process outsourcing  (BPO) companies.
Also set for completion are office towers like Polaris and Capella as well as Far Eastern University.
The next three years will see the completion of Filinvest’s anchor projects such as Botanika Nature Residences Tower 1 and Bristol at Parkway Place for high-end residences, and Parkway Corporate Center which is a new iconic office condominium structure.
‘Green spine’
Another pioneering enhancement of Filinvest City is its innovative “green spine,” the Spectrum Midway Linear Park. Enjoy this foliage-canopied walkway that spans across the north and south ends of the township that creates a pedestrian-friendly CBD with a healthy dose of the outdoors.
Further promoting Filinvest City for pedestrians, bike lanes will also be created across the city with provisions for bike stands and parking by city locators. This move will decrease vehicular traffic and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
With a greener and more dynamic development, Filinvest City is ahead of its time. Its sustained transformation and enhancements, guided by the pioneering vision of its founder, will continue to enhance the lives and experience of its residents and visitors.