Uncommon Way To Final Solution For Common Station

The long-delayed project to construct a Common Station to link the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, plus the Metro Rail Transit Line 7, got back on track. These decision-makers a virtual who’s who among the country’s captains of industry even agreed to make a show of the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement that would finally get the Common Station designed and built all within two years at the latest. They were all there Hans Sy and Jeffrey Lim of SM Philippines, Ramon Ang and Lorenzo Formoso of SMC, Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Bernard Vincent Dy of the North Triangle Depot Commercial Corporation, Manny V. Pangilinan and Rogelio Singson of the Light Rail Manila Corporation at the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement that would pave the way for the construction of the Common Station.



JAIME AUGUSTO ZOBEL DE AYALA

Thank you very much. I'd like to add my own words of thank you to Secretary Tugade, Secretary Villar for the leadership they have brought for bringing us all together. It's all been an important imperative in our country to bring the public sector and private sector together to address some of the more pressing problems. This is a perfect example of leadership from the government in bringing us all in the private sector together to build a facility for a common good.



HANS SY

First and foremost, I'd like to acknowledge the leadership of Secretary Tugade and also, Secretary Villar. As I was mentioning Secretary Villar, this is one sign that I felt that things are really moving and moving fast. So, this is a milestone that would like to be able to show our full support also to the project and a big thank you to all the people who were able to make this come true. Thank you.



MARK VILLAR

I'd like to thank, of course, the private sector for their support to help solve the infrastructure problems here in the country. Obviously, because of the size and scope of the infrastructure, it's a big help that the private sectors (are) becoming active in helping us in solving these issues. Thank you very much to all of you from the government, we would like to extend our thanks and of course, I'd like to acknowledge our very hardworking secretary, Secretary Art Tugade. I'm always with them and I see how hard he really tried to get this deal and how passionate he is about it.



MANNY PANGILINAN

From our perspective, the signing of the memorandum today is very important or what we call, a sentinel event because it signifies a public-private sector cooperation. Number 2, it brings a lot of ease and comfort to the commuting public. Number 3, very significant, investment in this particular project. I'd like to thank the parties who are signatories of this memorandum but in particular, I'd like to single out Secretary Tugade and of course, with the cooperation of Secretary Villar, for making this memorandum possible today. Thank you.



RAMON ANG

Alam n'yo, itong problema ng common station, started in year 2008 during the time of President GMA, President Noy and now, under the strong leadership of President Duterte and Secretary Tugade, all of a sudden, wala nang problema ang lahat. na-resolve ang lahat ng issue. Diba napakagaling ng ating Secretary Tugade? Salamat po.



ART TUGADE

Napakagandang natapos natin ngayon ang pirmahan. Mag-uumpisa na 'yung konstruksyon, matatapos ito based on target, in 2 years. In 2 years, we are expecting a common station barring unforeseen circumstances. Today, kailangan lang ilagay natin on the record, wala hong kinalaman lahat 'to. Sinasabi, "Ask Tugade. Aks Tugade." Ang may kinalaman po dito, 'yung Pangulo ng Republika, si Pangulong Rody Roa Duterte. Sa kanya po nagmumula 'yung leadership. And for the record, let me state that this thing this morning would not have been possible without the cooperation, trust and confidence of the private sectors headed by the 5 parties in today's gathering. Napakaganda hong tignan na nagsamsa-sama sila, nagbuklod-buklod, kapit-bisig upang bigyan ng katotohanan ang buhay ang isang problemang matagal na panahon din nating binitbit. Naniwala sila sa gobyerno, hindi inalintana 'yung kanya-kanyang personal na pakinabang. Sabi nila, "Gobyerno muna, bayan pa more." kaya nagpirmahan tayo ngayon.

Ayala Corp hopes Duterte infra projects take off soon By Iris Gonzales (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 6, 2017 - 12:00am

Ayala Corp. hopes the Duterte administration’s planned infrastructure projects would soon hit the road running, saying that the country badly needs new railway systems, roads, bridges and airports.
The Duterte administration is facing hurdles for its infrastructure projects.
For instance, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez questioned the administration’s first public-private partnership (PPP) project, the P108 billion auction for the modernization and operation of five regional airports.
In an interview with The Star, AC Infrastructure Holdings president and CEO Jose Rene Almendras expressed hope the government could jumpstart the projects soon because the country needs new infrastructure.
“We hope the government projects will happen such as the airport and the LRT-2. We hope these projects start moving,” he said.
The former Aquino Cabinet secretary said the country needs a lot of infrastructure to support a growing economy.
“The country really needs these infrastructure projects,” Almendras said.
Ayala, through infrastructure subsidiary AC Infrastructure, wants to bid for the P74.6 billion upgrade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
It also wants to bid for the P2.27-billion Light Rail Transit Line 2 public private partnership (PPP) project.
Aside from these projects, AC Infrastructure is also preparing to submit unsolicited proposals for big-ticket projects, Almendras said.
During a recent hearing of the House Committee on Transportation, Alvarez questioned the 30- to 35-year period for the winning bidder in the operation and maintenance of the airport development, saying that it was too long.
The five regional airports are the Bacolod-Silay, Davao, Iloilo, Laguindingan and New Bohol (Panglao) airports. The government is offering this for bid to private sector investors, on an unbundled or individual basis.
This means bidders would make a separate offer for each airport, unlike the packaging during the previous administration when the five airports were divided into two separate tranches.
Alvarez also questioned the P2.8 billion Common Rail Station between the Light Railway Transit (LRT) Line 1 and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Lines 3 and 7.
He said the project is unconstitutional because private companies involved in the project still have to have a legislative franchise.
This after the government signed a Memorandum of Agreement with private companies such as SM Prime Holdings Inc. executive chairman Hans Sy for the SM Group, Light Rail Manila Corp. vice chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, San Miguel Corp. president and COO Ramon S. Ang and North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp. represented by Ayala Land Inc. vice chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

LRT1 operator to start Cavite extension in late February LRMC, the operator of LRT1, takes on French companies Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport Private Limited to help build the LRT1 Cavite extension By Chrisee Dela Paz Published Mon, Feb 6, 2017 4:05 PM

The operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), Southeast Asia's first rail transport line, will break ground on the project to extend it from Baclaran to Cavite by late February this year.
"We will break ground in late February or early March. Under the contract, you can only issue notice to proceed once the right of way is totally cleared of informal settlers, utilities, etc. I said I don't need notice to proceed, I just need permit to enter," Rogelio Singson, Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) president and chief executive officer, said on the sidelines of a briefing in Pasay City on Monday, February 6.
LRMC took over the operations, maintenance, and extension of LRT1 last September 2015, after bagging the P64.9-billion ($1.36-billion) LRT1 Cavite Extension deal. (READ: Engineers racing to fix LRT1)
LRMC is a consortium of Ayala Corporation, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), and the Macquarie group.
"With permit to enter, I can start fencing, clearing, and a lot of engineering works, buying us a year or more," Singson, who was a former chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways, added.
This was LRMC's strategy after delays due to unfinished right-of-way acquisition and stalled relocation of illegal settlers and utilities.
LRMC took on French companies Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport Private Limited to help build the extension.
The 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension will link with the existing system immediately south of the Baclaran Station, and run in a generally southerly direction to Niog, Cavite.
Eight new stations will be provided with 3 intermodal facilities across Pasay City, Paranaque City, Las Piñas City and Cavite.
The new stations are Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog. The intermodal facilities will be located at Dr Santos, Zapote, and Niog.
The commercial speed of the Cavite extension will be 60 kilometers per hour (km/h).
The extension is targeted for completion in about 4 years or in 2021, Singson said.
Prepping for the future



The LRMC chief said the replacement of LRT1's 32-year-old rails is also underway, with a total of 10,583 meters or 40% already complete.

The rail replacement project runs a total of 26 kilometers from Baclaran to 5th Avenue stations, and is targeted to be finished by the end of 2017.

"Once completed, the new tracks are expected to allow trains to increase their speed from the current 40 km/h to 60 km/h. They will also decrease the wear and tear of light rail vehicles (LRVs) and improve the reliability of the whole system," Singson said.

He noted that all improvements are done with the future in mind.

"We are working on these improvements given our mandate to extend LRT1's service to commuters in Cavite. We want LRT1 to be ready and able to serve more passengers through the synergy of modern stations and a sound operation backbone," Singson said.

On Monday, February 6, LRMC launched inaugurated the new Doroteo Jose station in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Doroteo Jose is the interconnecting station of LRT1 and LRT Line 2, serving an average of 27,000 passengers daily. (READ: LRTA fails to turn over 100 operational coaches)

"Doroteo Jose is just the beginning," Singson said. "We are now working on the rest of the project’s phases and, with the support of our commercial partners, we are hoping to see more enhancements at the other stations by the end of this year."

According to Singson, the next phase of the project covers United Nations, Gil Puyat, Abad Santos, Pedro Gil, and R. Papa, which will be accomplished in June.
By end 2017, LRMC said it will deliver a "wholly refurbished train line, featuring stations that have been renovated and equipped with structural upgrades and new facilities."