The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) yesterday vowed to continue support to the Philippines’ key transport infrastructure projects to help address the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
Under the Philippines’ Build Build Build program, JICA is supporting transport infrastructure with flagship projects such as the construction of the 38-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway for Malolos-Tutuban and the 25-km Metro Manila Subway connecting Mindanao avenue to FTI in the south and further to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, among others to further address traffic gridlock and attract more investments.
At the recently convened 36th Joint Meeting of Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committees attended by Japanese and Filipino public and private stakeholders, JICA said the economic cost of transportation in Metro Manila is P3.5 billion a and could go up to 5.4 billion a day in 2035.
The economic cost of transportation refers to the vehicle operating cost and time cost spent by drivers and passengers along with the road network in Metro Manila, not economic loss nor congestion loss, and does not reflect any assessment of specific transport policy or policy measures.
“The government’s priorities are aligned with the strategies proposed in the roadmap study. It is therefore worth noting the steps taken by the current government to pursue transport infrastructure projects that will create positive change in the life of all Filipinos,” said Susumo Ito, JICA chief representative, in commending the efforts undertaken by the current administration to accelerate the implementation of the Build, Build, Build Program, particularly for those projects currently planned and implemented under key infrastructure agencies.
The roadmap Ito was referring to is the JICA-National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) study “Follow-Up Survey on the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for the Greater Capital Region.”
Arthur Tugade, transportation secretary, earlier said 2018 is the year for railways as five major railway lines will start or continue construction this year.
From only 72 km of railways, the Philippines will build at least 1,500 to 1,900 km of railways during this administration.
These projects include PNR Clark, PNR Bicol, LRT-1 Cavite Extension, Metro Manila Subway, Metro Rail Transit line 7 (MRT7) as well as a common station for the three-rail system in Metro Manila.
The first week of 2018 marked the commencement of works for PNR Clark. The line stretches from Tutuban to Malolos in Bulacan and ends in Clark, Pampanga.
PNR Bicol is also set for construction in the third quarter of the year.
Phase 1 is the PNR South Commuter which will connect Metro Manila to Los Banos, Laguna while Phase 2 goes all the way to Matnog, Sorsogon.
Metro Manila Subway is also set for groundbreaking in the fourth quarter.
“(Metro Manila Subway) will have a partial operation by 2021, covering three stations, depot, and the training center. Once completed by 2025, the subway will start from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City leading up to NAIA.” Tugade said.
Apart from these lines, the common station in Quezon City shall also begin construction this year after eight years of delay.
The common station will connect the four major rail systems in the metro, MRT 3, LRT-1, MRT7, and the Metro Manila Subway.
It started during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and had stalled during the entire presidency of Benigno Aquino III, during which the legal row erupted due to its decision to transfer the station’s location.
The government, through then DOTC and LRTA signed an agreement with SM Prime Holdings in 2009 for the construction of the common station in front of its North EDSA mall. SM has also secured naming rights to the common station for P200 million.
The location of the project was changed in May 2013, under then Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.
On November 21, 2013, then-President 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.
The Common Station at the TriNoma will connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, and the future MRT-7 line. The project will also involve the 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.
He decided to make the common station part of the P65-billion LRT 1 extension project of the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) – a consortium made up of Ayala Corp., Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Investments Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings.
The transportation department then insisted on locating the common station near TriNoma, saying this would save the government P1.4 billion.
SM later sued the government for an alleged breach of the 2009 contract, and the Supreme Court issued a stay order in June 2014 stopping the award of the contract to the winning bidder for the construction of the common station in front of Trinoma owned by Ayala Corp.
Given the importance of the project, Abaya pushed for a compromise and even suggested two small common stations — one each in The Annex at SM City North EDSA and in Trinoma. The decision on the project hung for the remainder of the Aquino III administration.
The current site, between The Annex at SM City North EDSA and Ayala Land Inc.’s Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, was agreed upon by all parties last January after months of negotiations with the Department of Transportation under President Duterte.
At the joint meeting, Ito shared in his presentation the preliminary results of the follow-up study. The final result of said study has yet to be approved by the relevant process of the Philippine government.
Under the Philippines’ Build Build Build program, JICA is supporting transport infrastructure with flagship projects such as the construction of the 38-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway for Malolos-Tutuban and the 25-km Metro Manila Subway connecting Mindanao avenue to FTI in the south and further to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, among others to further address traffic gridlock and attract more investments.
At the recently convened 36th Joint Meeting of Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committees attended by Japanese and Filipino public and private stakeholders, JICA said the economic cost of transportation in Metro Manila is P3.5 billion a and could go up to 5.4 billion a day in 2035.
The economic cost of transportation refers to the vehicle operating cost and time cost spent by drivers and passengers along with the road network in Metro Manila, not economic loss nor congestion loss, and does not reflect any assessment of specific transport policy or policy measures.
“The government’s priorities are aligned with the strategies proposed in the roadmap study. It is therefore worth noting the steps taken by the current government to pursue transport infrastructure projects that will create positive change in the life of all Filipinos,” said Susumo Ito, JICA chief representative, in commending the efforts undertaken by the current administration to accelerate the implementation of the Build, Build, Build Program, particularly for those projects currently planned and implemented under key infrastructure agencies.
The roadmap Ito was referring to is the JICA-National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) study “Follow-Up Survey on the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for the Greater Capital Region.”
Arthur Tugade, transportation secretary, earlier said 2018 is the year for railways as five major railway lines will start or continue construction this year.
From only 72 km of railways, the Philippines will build at least 1,500 to 1,900 km of railways during this administration.
These projects include PNR Clark, PNR Bicol, LRT-1 Cavite Extension, Metro Manila Subway, Metro Rail Transit line 7 (MRT7) as well as a common station for the three-rail system in Metro Manila.
The first week of 2018 marked the commencement of works for PNR Clark. The line stretches from Tutuban to Malolos in Bulacan and ends in Clark, Pampanga.
PNR Bicol is also set for construction in the third quarter of the year.
Phase 1 is the PNR South Commuter which will connect Metro Manila to Los Banos, Laguna while Phase 2 goes all the way to Matnog, Sorsogon.
Metro Manila Subway is also set for groundbreaking in the fourth quarter.
“(Metro Manila Subway) will have a partial operation by 2021, covering three stations, depot, and the training center. Once completed by 2025, the subway will start from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City leading up to NAIA.” Tugade said.
Apart from these lines, the common station in Quezon City shall also begin construction this year after eight years of delay.
The common station will connect the four major rail systems in the metro, MRT 3, LRT-1, MRT7, and the Metro Manila Subway.
It started during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and had stalled during the entire presidency of Benigno Aquino III, during which the legal row erupted due to its decision to transfer the station’s location.
The government, through then DOTC and LRTA signed an agreement with SM Prime Holdings in 2009 for the construction of the common station in front of its North EDSA mall. SM has also secured naming rights to the common station for P200 million.
The location of the project was changed in May 2013, under then Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.
On November 21, 2013, then-President 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.
The Common Station at the TriNoma will connect the LRT-1, MRT-3, and the future MRT-7 line. The project will also involve the 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.
He decided to make the common station part of the P65-billion LRT 1 extension project of the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) – a consortium made up of Ayala Corp., Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Investments Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings.
The transportation department then insisted on locating the common station near TriNoma, saying this would save the government P1.4 billion.
SM later sued the government for an alleged breach of the 2009 contract, and the Supreme Court issued a stay order in June 2014 stopping the award of the contract to the winning bidder for the construction of the common station in front of Trinoma owned by Ayala Corp.
Given the importance of the project, Abaya pushed for a compromise and even suggested two small common stations — one each in The Annex at SM City North EDSA and in Trinoma. The decision on the project hung for the remainder of the Aquino III administration.
The current site, between The Annex at SM City North EDSA and Ayala Land Inc.’s Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, was agreed upon by all parties last January after months of negotiations with the Department of Transportation under President Duterte.
At the joint meeting, Ito shared in his presentation the preliminary results of the follow-up study. The final result of said study has yet to be approved by the relevant process of the Philippine government.
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