Thursday, March 8, 2018
Cause of MRT’s break downs? Presidential spokesperson says previous administration only used 1/3 of maintenance budget for trains
The MRT breaking down is a weekly occurrence and an unfortunate reality for Manila commuters. And according to a statement by Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque yesterday, this may have have been caused by officials from the previous administration who allegedly took part of the train’s maintenance budget.
His source? An unnamed whistleblower.
“The whistleblower said that 1/3 of our total payment for the contract went to the Pangasinan group. Then 1/3 was allegedly used to pay for political machinery and only 1/3 went towards maintaining MRT 3,” Roque said in an interview on Radyo 5 yesterday.
He did not specify the officials involved in the allegation and did not say who was part of the so-called “Pangasinan group.”
According to Roque, the whistleblower will be brought to the National Bureau of Investigation and that the government will file charges against those involved.
The government is currently investigating whether or not former transportation and communications secretaries Joseph Emilio Abaya and Manuel Roxas II, and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad had anything to do with the MRT 3’s current condition.
Abaya, Abad, and Roxas (who ran against President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections) are all part of the opposing Liberal Party.
Filipino-Korean consortium Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) was the MRTs maintenance provider during the previous administration but the Department of Transportation (DOTr) terminated its contract with the company in November.
Unlike many other metropolitan cities, train breakdowns are more the norm than exception in Manila. Last week, the DOTr even patted itself on the back in a Facebook post for not having any MRT incidents for a week.
Improving infrastructure and public transportation is one of the Duterte government’s priority projects. The DOTr has increased the number of point-to-point buses in Manila and a Metro Manila subway is planned to be operational by 2020.
His source? An unnamed whistleblower.
“The whistleblower said that 1/3 of our total payment for the contract went to the Pangasinan group. Then 1/3 was allegedly used to pay for political machinery and only 1/3 went towards maintaining MRT 3,” Roque said in an interview on Radyo 5 yesterday.
He did not specify the officials involved in the allegation and did not say who was part of the so-called “Pangasinan group.”
According to Roque, the whistleblower will be brought to the National Bureau of Investigation and that the government will file charges against those involved.
The government is currently investigating whether or not former transportation and communications secretaries Joseph Emilio Abaya and Manuel Roxas II, and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad had anything to do with the MRT 3’s current condition.
Abaya, Abad, and Roxas (who ran against President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections) are all part of the opposing Liberal Party.
Filipino-Korean consortium Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) was the MRTs maintenance provider during the previous administration but the Department of Transportation (DOTr) terminated its contract with the company in November.
Unlike many other metropolitan cities, train breakdowns are more the norm than exception in Manila. Last week, the DOTr even patted itself on the back in a Facebook post for not having any MRT incidents for a week.
Improving infrastructure and public transportation is one of the Duterte government’s priority projects. The DOTr has increased the number of point-to-point buses in Manila and a Metro Manila subway is planned to be operational by 2020.
Japan-backed rail institute to rise on site of subway depot
THE Japan-backed Philippine Railway Institute (PRI), which is intended to develop railway managers and technical workers, will rise on the site of the Metro Manila Subway depot in Valenzuela City, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said in a statement.
JICA said Wednesday it signed the record of discussions with the Department of Transportation to establish the PRI, which will become the first professional body for training railway workers. It will also conduct research on the country’s railway system.
“JICA welcomes the opportunity to assist the Philippines in promoting seamless mobility and sustainable development that will benefit many Filipinos. Through this project with DoTr, Japanese experts can help train personnel and develop curriculum on railway operations and management,” JICA Senior Representative Tetsuya Yamada said in a statement.
The agreement to set up the institute covers the period between April 2018 and March 2023. Activities include the dispatch of 26 experts from Japan. The transportation department will also tap the Technical Education and Skills Authority and railway operators to develop the curriculum and train instructors at the PRI.
Prior to the signing of the deal, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade led a delegation to the Tokyo Metro’s training center. JICA described the facility as “one of the most sophisticated human resource development centers for Japan’s railway sector.”
The Metro Manila subway project is also JICA-backed, funded by official development assistance (ODA). It is due to start construction by the third quarter of 2018.
Apart from the subway project, JICA is also extending a loan to the Philippines from the development of the $2-billion North-South Commuter Railway Project, which consists of an elevated runway that will connect Malolos, Bulacan, and Tutuban, Manila.
JICA has assisted the Philippine government in improving its institutional capacity, starting with the Philippine Rice Research Institute in the 1960s. The group has also helped build the Philippine Coast Guard, the National Maritime Polytechnic Training Center, University of the Philippines Information Technology Development Center, and the National Center for Transportation Studies. — Arra B. Francia
JICA said Wednesday it signed the record of discussions with the Department of Transportation to establish the PRI, which will become the first professional body for training railway workers. It will also conduct research on the country’s railway system.
“JICA welcomes the opportunity to assist the Philippines in promoting seamless mobility and sustainable development that will benefit many Filipinos. Through this project with DoTr, Japanese experts can help train personnel and develop curriculum on railway operations and management,” JICA Senior Representative Tetsuya Yamada said in a statement.
The agreement to set up the institute covers the period between April 2018 and March 2023. Activities include the dispatch of 26 experts from Japan. The transportation department will also tap the Technical Education and Skills Authority and railway operators to develop the curriculum and train instructors at the PRI.
Prior to the signing of the deal, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade led a delegation to the Tokyo Metro’s training center. JICA described the facility as “one of the most sophisticated human resource development centers for Japan’s railway sector.”
The Metro Manila subway project is also JICA-backed, funded by official development assistance (ODA). It is due to start construction by the third quarter of 2018.
Apart from the subway project, JICA is also extending a loan to the Philippines from the development of the $2-billion North-South Commuter Railway Project, which consists of an elevated runway that will connect Malolos, Bulacan, and Tutuban, Manila.
JICA has assisted the Philippine government in improving its institutional capacity, starting with the Philippine Rice Research Institute in the 1960s. The group has also helped build the Philippine Coast Guard, the National Maritime Polytechnic Training Center, University of the Philippines Information Technology Development Center, and the National Center for Transportation Studies. — Arra B. Francia
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