CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has secured 90.1 percent of the right of way (ROW) of six train stations scheduled to be built under Package 1 of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade last week said the department had already cleared 443,000 square meters of land for the first construction package.
The ROW of PNR Clark Phase 1 is 15 meters wide, or 7.5 meters on each side, according to Transportation Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddes Hope Libiran.
Phase 1 spans 37.6 kilometers from Tutuban in Manila to the City of Malolos in Bulacan province. Phase 2 heads to Clark International Airport at Clark Freeport in Pampanga province.
Matter of time
Tugade said it was only “a matter of time” that the remaining 9.9 percent of Package 1 would be cleared.
The ROW balance consists of 25,491.84 sq m, or 5.2 percent land; 10,743.25 sq m, or 2.2 percent utilities; 8,524.315 sq m, or 1.7 percent of PNR and Northrail piers; and 3,551.351 sq m, or 0.7 percent structures by informal and legal settlers.
These sites are found in various parts of Manila and Bulacan, Libiran said.
Package 1 entails the construction of elevated structures, a depot in Valenzuela City and six train stations in Tondo, Manila; Caloocan and Valenzuela cities; and Meycauayan City, and Marilao and Bocaue towns in Bulacan.
The joint venture of Taisei Corp. and D.M. Consunji won the contract to build Package 1 of Phase 1.
Shorter trip
Sumitomo-Mitsui is the general contractor of Package 2, which began in February. It is constructing three stations in Balagtas and Guiguinto towns, and in Malolos.
The PNR Clark Phase 1 aims to cut travel time to Manila from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes and is expected to be operational before the end of 2021.
Funded by a loan from Japan’s official development assistance, the project is part of the North-South Commuter Railway project that integrates Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions, the DOTr said.
The south line is called PNR Calamba, running from Manila to Laguna.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1124809/clark-railways-right-of-way-acquisition-nearly-complete
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Gov’t to award Bicol rail project in 4th quarter
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to award the construction packages for a long-haul railway line that will link Metro Manila to Bicol province south of Luzon by the fourth quarter of this year.
Timothy John Batan, transportation undersecretary for railways, said the 639-kilometer railway line to be funded by the Chinese government was on track for actual procurement in the coming weeks.
Partially operational
The train line, formally known as the Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long-Haul Project, will cost around P175 billion, making it one of the biggest under the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
Batan said the bidding terms of reference were currently being prepared by China Railway Design Corp., the project management consultant. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) board previously approved the financing of the PNR Bicol Project through official development assistance (ODA) from the government of China.
“The good thing in the commitment of the Chinese government is the eventual contractor will not wait for the loan agreement to be signed before they start working,” Batan said.
The DOTr earlier announced that the PNR to Bicol line would be partially operational before President Duterte steps down in 2022.
Upon completion, the PNR Bicol Project will connect Metro Manila, Region IV-A (Calabarzon) and Region V (Bicol), reducing travel time from Manila to Legazpi City from 13 hours to under 6 hours.
The PNR South Long Haul was previously listed among the Aquino III administration’s pipeline of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Its funding was then shifted to ODA loans under Mr. Duterte.
Mindanao railway project
The Chinese government is also expected to fund a significant portion of the 1,500-km Mindanao railway project, which will connect Davao, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Zamboanga.
The first phase of the Mindanao railway project is a P35-billion section that will run about 100 km through Tagum, Davao and Digos.
https://business.inquirer.net/271516/govt-to-award-bicol-rail-project-in-4th-quarter
Timothy John Batan, transportation undersecretary for railways, said the 639-kilometer railway line to be funded by the Chinese government was on track for actual procurement in the coming weeks.
Partially operational
The train line, formally known as the Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long-Haul Project, will cost around P175 billion, making it one of the biggest under the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
Batan said the bidding terms of reference were currently being prepared by China Railway Design Corp., the project management consultant. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) board previously approved the financing of the PNR Bicol Project through official development assistance (ODA) from the government of China.
“The good thing in the commitment of the Chinese government is the eventual contractor will not wait for the loan agreement to be signed before they start working,” Batan said.
The DOTr earlier announced that the PNR to Bicol line would be partially operational before President Duterte steps down in 2022.
Upon completion, the PNR Bicol Project will connect Metro Manila, Region IV-A (Calabarzon) and Region V (Bicol), reducing travel time from Manila to Legazpi City from 13 hours to under 6 hours.
The PNR South Long Haul was previously listed among the Aquino III administration’s pipeline of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Its funding was then shifted to ODA loans under Mr. Duterte.
Mindanao railway project
The Chinese government is also expected to fund a significant portion of the 1,500-km Mindanao railway project, which will connect Davao, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Zamboanga.
The first phase of the Mindanao railway project is a P35-billion section that will run about 100 km through Tagum, Davao and Digos.
https://business.inquirer.net/271516/govt-to-award-bicol-rail-project-in-4th-quarter
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Tracking government projects
IN this digital age, information can be transmitted from one person to another in an instant, with a few presses and clicks on the screen of a gadget; that same information can be shared by practically everyone in the planet who has access to the internet.
The government therefore serves the public well by uploading readily accessible information about the so-called “big ticket” projects under its “Build Build Build” (BBB) program by maintaining a website at build.gov.ph. Anyone, especially the Filipino taxpayers, who wishes to track the progress of these projects can do so by simply browsing the pages of that website.
The other day I read that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has just approved a loan for the 53.1-kilometer Malolos-Clark Railway project in the amount of $2.7 billion. This reportedly was the biggest loan package the bank has ever extended for any single project.
Implemented by the Department of Transportation, this project is part of the bigger P149-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project which was started in 2013. The BBB website summarizes its project description as “a 147 km. mass transportation railway system traversing Clark, Pampanga (Region 3), and Calamba, Laguna (Region 4). It has 3 interconnected railway systems: 1) the PNR Clark Phase 1; 2) The PNR Clark Phase 2; and 3) PNR Calamba. The total cost is P777.551 billion. The PNR Clark Phase 1 involves the construction of a 37.6-km rail line that will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan. With this line, commuters from Tutuban will reach Malolos in approximately 35 minutes, from over 1 and 30 minutes of travel time. It can accommodate 300,000 passengers daily in its opening year.”
There is a bar graph that shows the progress of project implementation, from project development, to procurement, to project implementation (meaning, construction). Sub bar graphs for each milestone show that project development progress is at zero percent; procurement at zero percent; and project implementation progress is also at zero percent.
Right there one finds that the website is deficient. It needs regular updating. For a project that started six years ago (in the middle of the Aquino administration), zero progress in at least the initial stages of project development and procurement cannot be, in my view, an accurate accounting. Surely a project cannot get ADB approval without sufficient project development documentation.
Project development, includes, at the minimum, pre-feasibility and/or feasibility studies, resettlement plan (for those who will be displaced), environment plan, right-of-way financing, procurement plan, organizational structuring, sustainability and operational and maintenance plan, and financing/loan documentation. All of these studies go through rigorous, sometimes contentious, discussion and analyses, which largely explain why government projects take time to get done.
Adequate documentation of consultative processes involving stakeholders is vital during the early stages of project development, especially with the size and scope of BBB projects. How are the population being displaced by these projects going to cope with livelihood? What will mitigate the destruction of the ecosystem if project sites are within mangrove areas, for example? Answers to these questions are some of the basic information, among many others, that the BBB website should make readily available for the public to access.
On procurement, citizens would appreciate being given the ability to browse or download documentation of each step being undertaken within the entire bidding process. Procurement consists of mandatory steps, such as planning, pre-procurement conference; issuance of procurement notices; pre-bid conference; submission, examination and evaluation of bids; post-evaluation qualification; then finally notice of award and notice to proceed.
Procurement planning, at which stage project cost is determined, is crucial for establishing the conditions that will either enable or disable irregularities to happen during the course of project implementation. Here project proponents determine unit costs for each project component. Overpricing by a few centavos for each unit of material, for example, means millions of pesos can be lost to corruption if the total cost runs into billions of pesos. At some point after the evaluation of bids, observers can also tell if collusion among bidders took place, indicating that the purpose of getting the best value for money through competition has been compromised.
Many studies have shown that up to 40 percent of public funds are lost due to corruption. Most of these leaks happen during procurement and contract execution.
And yet, if done properly, government procurement can provide the most efficient process by which public funds are converted into goods and services that can eventually benefit the people. Some experts even argue that government projects that go through procurement are in the long run less costly, from the viewpoint of the taxpaying public, than those that apply private-public partnership (PPP)methods of financing. That’s because while PPPs can mobilize private funds for public goods, they also promote private gain more than they ease public pain.
https://www.manilatimes.net/tracking-government-projects/561321/
The government therefore serves the public well by uploading readily accessible information about the so-called “big ticket” projects under its “Build Build Build” (BBB) program by maintaining a website at build.gov.ph. Anyone, especially the Filipino taxpayers, who wishes to track the progress of these projects can do so by simply browsing the pages of that website.
The other day I read that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has just approved a loan for the 53.1-kilometer Malolos-Clark Railway project in the amount of $2.7 billion. This reportedly was the biggest loan package the bank has ever extended for any single project.
Implemented by the Department of Transportation, this project is part of the bigger P149-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project which was started in 2013. The BBB website summarizes its project description as “a 147 km. mass transportation railway system traversing Clark, Pampanga (Region 3), and Calamba, Laguna (Region 4). It has 3 interconnected railway systems: 1) the PNR Clark Phase 1; 2) The PNR Clark Phase 2; and 3) PNR Calamba. The total cost is P777.551 billion. The PNR Clark Phase 1 involves the construction of a 37.6-km rail line that will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan. With this line, commuters from Tutuban will reach Malolos in approximately 35 minutes, from over 1 and 30 minutes of travel time. It can accommodate 300,000 passengers daily in its opening year.”
There is a bar graph that shows the progress of project implementation, from project development, to procurement, to project implementation (meaning, construction). Sub bar graphs for each milestone show that project development progress is at zero percent; procurement at zero percent; and project implementation progress is also at zero percent.
Right there one finds that the website is deficient. It needs regular updating. For a project that started six years ago (in the middle of the Aquino administration), zero progress in at least the initial stages of project development and procurement cannot be, in my view, an accurate accounting. Surely a project cannot get ADB approval without sufficient project development documentation.
Project development, includes, at the minimum, pre-feasibility and/or feasibility studies, resettlement plan (for those who will be displaced), environment plan, right-of-way financing, procurement plan, organizational structuring, sustainability and operational and maintenance plan, and financing/loan documentation. All of these studies go through rigorous, sometimes contentious, discussion and analyses, which largely explain why government projects take time to get done.
Adequate documentation of consultative processes involving stakeholders is vital during the early stages of project development, especially with the size and scope of BBB projects. How are the population being displaced by these projects going to cope with livelihood? What will mitigate the destruction of the ecosystem if project sites are within mangrove areas, for example? Answers to these questions are some of the basic information, among many others, that the BBB website should make readily available for the public to access.
On procurement, citizens would appreciate being given the ability to browse or download documentation of each step being undertaken within the entire bidding process. Procurement consists of mandatory steps, such as planning, pre-procurement conference; issuance of procurement notices; pre-bid conference; submission, examination and evaluation of bids; post-evaluation qualification; then finally notice of award and notice to proceed.
Procurement planning, at which stage project cost is determined, is crucial for establishing the conditions that will either enable or disable irregularities to happen during the course of project implementation. Here project proponents determine unit costs for each project component. Overpricing by a few centavos for each unit of material, for example, means millions of pesos can be lost to corruption if the total cost runs into billions of pesos. At some point after the evaluation of bids, observers can also tell if collusion among bidders took place, indicating that the purpose of getting the best value for money through competition has been compromised.
Many studies have shown that up to 40 percent of public funds are lost due to corruption. Most of these leaks happen during procurement and contract execution.
And yet, if done properly, government procurement can provide the most efficient process by which public funds are converted into goods and services that can eventually benefit the people. Some experts even argue that government projects that go through procurement are in the long run less costly, from the viewpoint of the taxpaying public, than those that apply private-public partnership (PPP)methods of financing. That’s because while PPPs can mobilize private funds for public goods, they also promote private gain more than they ease public pain.
https://www.manilatimes.net/tracking-government-projects/561321/
Sunday, May 26, 2019
DMCI sets P2-billion capex for rail project
By James A. Loyola
Infrastructure developer D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) is earmarking P2 billion in capital expenditures (capex)for the next two years to support its railway construction activities under Phase 1 of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
In a press briefing, DMCI President Jorge Consunji said the bulk of the P2- billion capex will be used to acquire construction equipment.
DMCI will also employ up to 5,000 direct and indirect workers within the next 30 months to meet the manpower requirements of the project.
“Building mass transport systems and high-impact infrastructure is part of our DNA. We are very excited and grateful to be part of this game-changing project for our country,” said Consunji.
The Department of Transportation recently awarded the NSCR Phase 1 contract to the joint venture of DMCI and Taisei Corporation of Japan.
The project has a total contract value of 114 billion yen or approximately P54 billion based on prevailing exchange rates.
It involves the construction of around 22 kilometers of elevated viaduct structures, six stations and a depot, which will be located in Valenzuela.
Designed to be completed in 42 months, NSCR Phase 1 will use the existing alignment of the Philippine National Railway (PNR), which runs from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban in Manila. The trains will have the maximum operating speed of 120 kilometers per hour.
Once completed, the railway will shorten travel time between Malolos and Tutuban from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. This rail line is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.
NSCR Phase 1 is the 5th railway project of DMCI. The company was also involved in the construction of LRT Line 1 North Extension, LRT Line 2 East Extension, two PNR projects and the Dubai Monorail in the United Arab Emirates.
Taisei Corporation is the contractor behind the Iloilo International Airport, which was named the 12thbest airport in Asia in 2017 by travel website “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports.”
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/25/dmci-sets-p2-billion-capex-for-rail-project/
Infrastructure developer D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) is earmarking P2 billion in capital expenditures (capex)for the next two years to support its railway construction activities under Phase 1 of the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
In a press briefing, DMCI President Jorge Consunji said the bulk of the P2- billion capex will be used to acquire construction equipment.
DMCI will also employ up to 5,000 direct and indirect workers within the next 30 months to meet the manpower requirements of the project.
“Building mass transport systems and high-impact infrastructure is part of our DNA. We are very excited and grateful to be part of this game-changing project for our country,” said Consunji.
The Department of Transportation recently awarded the NSCR Phase 1 contract to the joint venture of DMCI and Taisei Corporation of Japan.
The project has a total contract value of 114 billion yen or approximately P54 billion based on prevailing exchange rates.
It involves the construction of around 22 kilometers of elevated viaduct structures, six stations and a depot, which will be located in Valenzuela.
Designed to be completed in 42 months, NSCR Phase 1 will use the existing alignment of the Philippine National Railway (PNR), which runs from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban in Manila. The trains will have the maximum operating speed of 120 kilometers per hour.
Once completed, the railway will shorten travel time between Malolos and Tutuban from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. This rail line is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.
NSCR Phase 1 is the 5th railway project of DMCI. The company was also involved in the construction of LRT Line 1 North Extension, LRT Line 2 East Extension, two PNR projects and the Dubai Monorail in the United Arab Emirates.
Taisei Corporation is the contractor behind the Iloilo International Airport, which was named the 12thbest airport in Asia in 2017 by travel website “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports.”
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/25/dmci-sets-p2-billion-capex-for-rail-project/
Friday, May 24, 2019
ADB okays $2.75-B financing for PNR Clark railway
By Chino S. Leyco
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced yesterday the approval of its largest infrastructure financing project in history that will fund the construction of a passenger railway system connecting Malolos, Bulacan and Clark, Pampanga.
In a statement, the multi-lateral institution said that it will provide a financing of up to $2.75 billion for the development of a 53.1 kilometer railway in the suburb north of Manila, which would connect the area to Clark economic zone and Clark International Airport.
The Malolos-Clark railway is part of the Philippine government’s North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, a 163-km suburban railway network stretching from New Clark City, Tarlac to Calamba, Laguna and is expected to be completed by 2025.
“The Malolos-Clark Railway Project will provide safe, reliable, and affordable public transport for a total of about 342,000 passengers expected to travel daily along the Manila-Clark corridor and up to 696,000 passengers per day to Calamba by 2025,” ADB said.
Once completed, the railway is estimated to cut the travel time from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport to less than one hour by rail, compared with the current two to three hours by car or bus. The project is expected to be partially operational from 2022.
The Malolos-Clark Railway Project also aims to ease today’s chronic road congestion in Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics, spur economic growth in central Luzon, and encourage a population shift from the capital to growth centers in the north, such as Clark in Pampanga.
“ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years,” Takehiko Nakao, ADB president said.
“The government’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) program is clearly steering the much-needed acceleration in infrastructure spending, from less than 2 percent of gross domestic product a decade ago to 6.3 percent now, well on track to achieve the 7 percent target by 2022. One of the key flagship projects of the BBB program is the Malolos-Clark railway,” Nakao said.
The Malolos-Clark railway will be ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever from a development perspective.
Nakao said they are pleased that the bank’s biggest investment is taking place in ADB’s host country.
“The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, metro rail transit, and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila,” Nakao said.
ADB’s 2018-2023 Country Partnership Strategy for the Philippines envisages significant and wide-ranging support for the BBB program, among other critical investments in education, financial inclusion, and economic policy reforms.
ADB will be financing civil works of the Malolos-Clark Railway Project, including the stations, bridges, and viaducts for the elevated railway alignment, and a tunnel leading to the underground station at Clark International Airport.
It will also assist the government in using global standards for procurement and environmental and resettlement safeguards.
The project is co-financed with up to $2 billion by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will finance the rolling stock and the railway systems.
“Our co-financing partnership with JICA allows both our institutions to combine our expertise and knowledge in building a world-class railway in the Philippines,” Markus Roesner, ADB principal transport specialist for Southeast Asia said.
The project includes the construction of two rail segments — a 51.2-km section connecting Malolos City in Bulacan province to the thriving Clark regional growth center and a 1.9-km extension connecting the NSCR to the Blumentritt Station in Manila, where an elevated interchange station for Light Rail Transit Line 1 will be built.
The rail stations will include multimodal facilities, allowing commuters to easily transfer from public buses and jeepneys to the trains. The underground station at the Clark International Airport will provide a short connection to upcoming and future airport terminals.
The project will be built on an elevated alignment, helping reduce the impact on communities, avoid disruption of activities, and mitigate flood risks along the route.
It will use innovative construction methods such as pre-fabricated viaduct segments, which limits the need for land acquisition and accelerates construction. High-quality construction methods will be used to achieve the maximum rail speed of up to 160 km per hour.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/23/adb-okays-2-75-b-financing-for-pnr-clark-railway/
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced yesterday the approval of its largest infrastructure financing project in history that will fund the construction of a passenger railway system connecting Malolos, Bulacan and Clark, Pampanga.
In a statement, the multi-lateral institution said that it will provide a financing of up to $2.75 billion for the development of a 53.1 kilometer railway in the suburb north of Manila, which would connect the area to Clark economic zone and Clark International Airport.
The Malolos-Clark railway is part of the Philippine government’s North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, a 163-km suburban railway network stretching from New Clark City, Tarlac to Calamba, Laguna and is expected to be completed by 2025.
“The Malolos-Clark Railway Project will provide safe, reliable, and affordable public transport for a total of about 342,000 passengers expected to travel daily along the Manila-Clark corridor and up to 696,000 passengers per day to Calamba by 2025,” ADB said.
Once completed, the railway is estimated to cut the travel time from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport to less than one hour by rail, compared with the current two to three hours by car or bus. The project is expected to be partially operational from 2022.
The Malolos-Clark Railway Project also aims to ease today’s chronic road congestion in Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics, spur economic growth in central Luzon, and encourage a population shift from the capital to growth centers in the north, such as Clark in Pampanga.
“ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years,” Takehiko Nakao, ADB president said.
“The government’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) program is clearly steering the much-needed acceleration in infrastructure spending, from less than 2 percent of gross domestic product a decade ago to 6.3 percent now, well on track to achieve the 7 percent target by 2022. One of the key flagship projects of the BBB program is the Malolos-Clark railway,” Nakao said.
The Malolos-Clark railway will be ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever from a development perspective.
Nakao said they are pleased that the bank’s biggest investment is taking place in ADB’s host country.
“The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, metro rail transit, and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila,” Nakao said.
ADB’s 2018-2023 Country Partnership Strategy for the Philippines envisages significant and wide-ranging support for the BBB program, among other critical investments in education, financial inclusion, and economic policy reforms.
ADB will be financing civil works of the Malolos-Clark Railway Project, including the stations, bridges, and viaducts for the elevated railway alignment, and a tunnel leading to the underground station at Clark International Airport.
It will also assist the government in using global standards for procurement and environmental and resettlement safeguards.
The project is co-financed with up to $2 billion by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will finance the rolling stock and the railway systems.
“Our co-financing partnership with JICA allows both our institutions to combine our expertise and knowledge in building a world-class railway in the Philippines,” Markus Roesner, ADB principal transport specialist for Southeast Asia said.
The project includes the construction of two rail segments — a 51.2-km section connecting Malolos City in Bulacan province to the thriving Clark regional growth center and a 1.9-km extension connecting the NSCR to the Blumentritt Station in Manila, where an elevated interchange station for Light Rail Transit Line 1 will be built.
The rail stations will include multimodal facilities, allowing commuters to easily transfer from public buses and jeepneys to the trains. The underground station at the Clark International Airport will provide a short connection to upcoming and future airport terminals.
The project will be built on an elevated alignment, helping reduce the impact on communities, avoid disruption of activities, and mitigate flood risks along the route.
It will use innovative construction methods such as pre-fabricated viaduct segments, which limits the need for land acquisition and accelerates construction. High-quality construction methods will be used to achieve the maximum rail speed of up to 160 km per hour.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/23/adb-okays-2-75-b-financing-for-pnr-clark-railway/
Thursday, May 23, 2019
ADB: Malolos-Clark Railway plan to cut Manila-Clark travel time to 1 hour
Travel time between Blumentritt in Manila and Clark International Airport in Pampanga would be slashed to less than one hour when the 53.1-kilometer Malolos-Clark Railway Project starts operation in 2022, thanks in part to a $2.75-billion loan to be extended by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The board of the Manila-based multilateral lender on Thursday approved its biggest loan for the Philippines to date to construct the Malolos-Clark Railway, which will be co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
The ADB loan will cover civil works such as bridges, stations and viaducts for the elevated railway alignment as well as the tunnel going to the underground station for Clark International Airport, ADB principal transport specialist for Southeast Asia Markus C. Roesner told a press conference.
Meanwhile, Jica’s counterpart financing worth $2 billion will be used to buy trains as well as put up electrical and mechanical systems, he added.
Roesner said bidding was already ongoing for six contracts covering elevated alignment, depot, and stations.
The Malolos-Clark Railway will have seven stations: Blumentritt, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, and Clark International Airport – all of which will be partially operational starting 2022 using a limited number of trains in order to cater to 350,000 commuters per day, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran said.
By the time it is ready for full operations, the rail system will serve one million passengers a day, Libiran added.
This railway project has two components, the main of which was the 51.2-kilometer section connecting Malolos City to Clark across six stations.
Malolos, in turn, will be connected to Tutuban in Manila by the ongoing Jica-financed rail system, which will also be connected to the Blumentritt Station of the Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) by the second section of the Malolos-Clark Railway project.
Under the second phase will be the construction of 1.9-kilometer Solis-Blumentritt extension, where the elevated interchange station for LRT-1 will also be built.
“The rail stations will include multimodal facilities, allowing commuters to easily transfer from public buses and jeepneys to the trains. The underground station at the Clark International Airport will provide a short connection to upcoming and future airport terminals,” ADB said in a statement.
“The project will be built on an elevated alignment, helping reduce the impact on communities, avoid disruption of activities, and mitigate flood risks along the route. It will use innovative construction methods such as pre-fabricated viaduct segments, which limits the need for land acquisition and accelerates construction. High-quality construction methods will be used to achieve the maximum rail speed of up to 160 kilometer per hour,” it added.
According to Roesner, the train will cut travel time between Manila and Clark to just less than one hour from two to three hours by car or bus at present.
“Our co-financing partnership with Jica allows both our institutions to combine our expertise and knowledge in building a world-class railway in the Philippines,” Roesner said.
As a whole, ADB said this project “will help ease the current chronic road congestion in Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics, spur economic growth in central Luzon, and encourage a population shift from the capital to growth centers in the north, such as Clark in Pampanga.”
“The ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years. The government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program is clearly steering the much-needed acceleration in infrastructure spending, from less than 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) a decade ago to 6.3 percent now, well on track to achieve the 7 percent target by 2022,” ADB president Takehiko Nakao said.
“One of the key flagship projects of the ‘Build, Build, Build” program is the Malolos-Clark railway. It will be the ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever, and from a development perspective, we are pleased this investment is taking place in the ADB’s host country. The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, metro rail transit, and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila,” Nakao added.
The “Build, Build, Build” pipeline included a total of 75 projects aimed at ushering in “the golden age of infrastructure.”
https://business.inquirer.net/271127/adb-malolos-clark-railway-plan-to-cut-manila-clark-travel-time-to-1-hour
The board of the Manila-based multilateral lender on Thursday approved its biggest loan for the Philippines to date to construct the Malolos-Clark Railway, which will be co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
The ADB loan will cover civil works such as bridges, stations and viaducts for the elevated railway alignment as well as the tunnel going to the underground station for Clark International Airport, ADB principal transport specialist for Southeast Asia Markus C. Roesner told a press conference.
Meanwhile, Jica’s counterpart financing worth $2 billion will be used to buy trains as well as put up electrical and mechanical systems, he added.
Roesner said bidding was already ongoing for six contracts covering elevated alignment, depot, and stations.
The Malolos-Clark Railway will have seven stations: Blumentritt, Calumpit, Apalit, San Fernando, Angeles, Clark, and Clark International Airport – all of which will be partially operational starting 2022 using a limited number of trains in order to cater to 350,000 commuters per day, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran said.
By the time it is ready for full operations, the rail system will serve one million passengers a day, Libiran added.
This railway project has two components, the main of which was the 51.2-kilometer section connecting Malolos City to Clark across six stations.
Malolos, in turn, will be connected to Tutuban in Manila by the ongoing Jica-financed rail system, which will also be connected to the Blumentritt Station of the Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) by the second section of the Malolos-Clark Railway project.
Under the second phase will be the construction of 1.9-kilometer Solis-Blumentritt extension, where the elevated interchange station for LRT-1 will also be built.
“The rail stations will include multimodal facilities, allowing commuters to easily transfer from public buses and jeepneys to the trains. The underground station at the Clark International Airport will provide a short connection to upcoming and future airport terminals,” ADB said in a statement.
“The project will be built on an elevated alignment, helping reduce the impact on communities, avoid disruption of activities, and mitigate flood risks along the route. It will use innovative construction methods such as pre-fabricated viaduct segments, which limits the need for land acquisition and accelerates construction. High-quality construction methods will be used to achieve the maximum rail speed of up to 160 kilometer per hour,” it added.
According to Roesner, the train will cut travel time between Manila and Clark to just less than one hour from two to three hours by car or bus at present.
“Our co-financing partnership with Jica allows both our institutions to combine our expertise and knowledge in building a world-class railway in the Philippines,” Roesner said.
As a whole, ADB said this project “will help ease the current chronic road congestion in Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics, spur economic growth in central Luzon, and encourage a population shift from the capital to growth centers in the north, such as Clark in Pampanga.”
“The ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years. The government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program is clearly steering the much-needed acceleration in infrastructure spending, from less than 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) a decade ago to 6.3 percent now, well on track to achieve the 7 percent target by 2022,” ADB president Takehiko Nakao said.
“One of the key flagship projects of the ‘Build, Build, Build” program is the Malolos-Clark railway. It will be the ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever, and from a development perspective, we are pleased this investment is taking place in the ADB’s host country. The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, metro rail transit, and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila,” Nakao added.
The “Build, Build, Build” pipeline included a total of 75 projects aimed at ushering in “the golden age of infrastructure.”
https://business.inquirer.net/271127/adb-malolos-clark-railway-plan-to-cut-manila-clark-travel-time-to-1-hour
ADB approves $2.75-B financing for Malolos-Clark railway
The Asian Development Bank on Thursday said it approved financing of up to $2.75 billion for the construction of the Malolos-Clark railway.
The 53.1 kilometer train line will connect Malolos in Bulacan to the Clark International Airport, the Manila-based lender said in a statement.
Once completed, the project is expected to cut travel time from Manila to Clark to less than an hour and to serve 342,000 passengers daily, it said.
The railway project can help ease road congestion in Manila, reduce air pollution and cut transport cost while spurring economic growth in Central Luzon, the ADB said.
“ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years,” said ADB President Takehiko Nakao.
The Malolos-Clark line is part of the 163-km North-South Commuter Railway Project, which aims to connect New Clark City to Calamba in Laguna. It is expected to be completed by 2025.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/19/adb-approves-275-b-financing-for-malolos-clark-railway
The 53.1 kilometer train line will connect Malolos in Bulacan to the Clark International Airport, the Manila-based lender said in a statement.
Once completed, the project is expected to cut travel time from Manila to Clark to less than an hour and to serve 342,000 passengers daily, it said.
The railway project can help ease road congestion in Manila, reduce air pollution and cut transport cost while spurring economic growth in Central Luzon, the ADB said.
“ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years,” said ADB President Takehiko Nakao.
The Malolos-Clark line is part of the 163-km North-South Commuter Railway Project, which aims to connect New Clark City to Calamba in Laguna. It is expected to be completed by 2025.
NOW: Officials from Asian Development Bank, PH gov't hold press briefing on approval of loan for Malolos-Clark Railway project which is part of the North-South Commuter Railway project pic.twitter.com/fI1CUNhZ1M— Bruce T. Rodriguez (@BruceTRodriguez) May 23, 2019
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/19/adb-approves-275-b-financing-for-malolos-clark-railway
ADB approves $2.75-B loan for Malolos-Clark train line
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $2.75-billion loan to fund the construction of a railway that will link Malolos, Bulacan to the Clark airport in Pampanga.
The Japan-led lender announced the approval on Thursday, saying it was the "single largest infrastructure project financing" ever granted by the ADB.
The amount will finance the construction of a 53.1-kilometer train line connecting Malolos to the Clark International Airport, which will also pass through the Clark economic zone in Pampanga.
This Malolos-Clark stretch is part of the 163-km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project that will connect New Clark City to Manila, and will stretch to Calamba, Laguna south of the capital.
The project is split into two segments: a 51.2-km section from Malolos to Clark, and a 1.9-km extension line that will connect the NSCR to the Blumentritt station of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 in Manila.
The entire stretch of the North-South railway is set to be completed by 2025, but partial operations are targeted by 2022. Construction of the NSCR is co-financed by the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, with the latter committing a $2-billion loan line.
"The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, mass rapid transit and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila," ADB President Takehiko Nakao said in a statement.
ADB will finance the construction of stations, bridges and viaducts for the elevated train tracks, as well as the tunnel that will connect to an underground station by the Clark airport.
Trains will run at a maximum of 160 km per hour, which will allow the railway to serve over 300,000 passengers daily and will cut travel time to less than an hour from end to end.
http://cnnphilippines.com/business/2019/5/23/ADB-loan-Malolos-Clark-railway.html
The Japan-led lender announced the approval on Thursday, saying it was the "single largest infrastructure project financing" ever granted by the ADB.
The amount will finance the construction of a 53.1-kilometer train line connecting Malolos to the Clark International Airport, which will also pass through the Clark economic zone in Pampanga.
This Malolos-Clark stretch is part of the 163-km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project that will connect New Clark City to Manila, and will stretch to Calamba, Laguna south of the capital.
The project is split into two segments: a 51.2-km section from Malolos to Clark, and a 1.9-km extension line that will connect the NSCR to the Blumentritt station of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 in Manila.
The entire stretch of the North-South railway is set to be completed by 2025, but partial operations are targeted by 2022. Construction of the NSCR is co-financed by the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, with the latter committing a $2-billion loan line.
"The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, mass rapid transit and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila," ADB President Takehiko Nakao said in a statement.
ADB will finance the construction of stations, bridges and viaducts for the elevated train tracks, as well as the tunnel that will connect to an underground station by the Clark airport.
Trains will run at a maximum of 160 km per hour, which will allow the railway to serve over 300,000 passengers daily and will cut travel time to less than an hour from end to end.
http://cnnphilippines.com/business/2019/5/23/ADB-loan-Malolos-Clark-railway.html
Tunneling work on Metro Manila subway to start next year
TUNNELING work on the Metro Manila Subway Project is not expected to begin until next year, but the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is already considering bidding out to real estate developers the soil and rock that will be excavated.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade told reporters Monday that parts of the tunnel boring machine are starting to arrive piece by piece from Japan, with the cutter head already here in the Philippines.
“Dumadating ’yun then ia-assemble. Pero ’yung cutter head nandito na… Ang actual drilling, next year [The parts of the boring machine will be assembled, but the cutter head is already here… The actual drilling will be next year],” he said.
Mr. Tugade noted around five million cubic meters of soil, equivalent to 2,500 Olympic-sized pools, will be excavated for the project.
“Kaya ang gagawin ko ngayon…ipapa-bid ko. Ang daming lupa nun eh. Kung sinong may kailangan, kunin niyo lahat dito [What I will do is bid that out to whoever needs it],” he added.
The construction of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded Metro Manila Subway started in February, which signaled the beginning of preparation works for the 36-kilometer underground railway system.
The subway will have 15 stations from Quirino Highway to Bicutan, with an optional extension from Lawton West to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The first phase of the project will be built by Japanese consortium Shimizu Joint Venture (Shimizu Corp., Fujita Corp., Takenaka Civil Engineering Co., Ltd. and EEI Corp.), which the DoTr signed a P51-billion contract with in February. The contract also involves the construction of the subway’s depot and the Philippine Railways Institute.
Five more contracts for the subway project are expected to be bid out and awarded by middle of next year. The underground train line is scheduled to be partially operational by 2022, and to be fully operational by 2025.
Upon partial operations, around 100,000 daily passengers are expected to benefit from the project, and some 370,000 daily passengers by its full completion. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/tunneling-work-on-metro-manila-subway-to-start-next-year/
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade told reporters Monday that parts of the tunnel boring machine are starting to arrive piece by piece from Japan, with the cutter head already here in the Philippines.
“Dumadating ’yun then ia-assemble. Pero ’yung cutter head nandito na… Ang actual drilling, next year [The parts of the boring machine will be assembled, but the cutter head is already here… The actual drilling will be next year],” he said.
Mr. Tugade noted around five million cubic meters of soil, equivalent to 2,500 Olympic-sized pools, will be excavated for the project.
“Kaya ang gagawin ko ngayon…ipapa-bid ko. Ang daming lupa nun eh. Kung sinong may kailangan, kunin niyo lahat dito [What I will do is bid that out to whoever needs it],” he added.
The construction of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded Metro Manila Subway started in February, which signaled the beginning of preparation works for the 36-kilometer underground railway system.
The subway will have 15 stations from Quirino Highway to Bicutan, with an optional extension from Lawton West to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The first phase of the project will be built by Japanese consortium Shimizu Joint Venture (Shimizu Corp., Fujita Corp., Takenaka Civil Engineering Co., Ltd. and EEI Corp.), which the DoTr signed a P51-billion contract with in February. The contract also involves the construction of the subway’s depot and the Philippine Railways Institute.
Five more contracts for the subway project are expected to be bid out and awarded by middle of next year. The underground train line is scheduled to be partially operational by 2022, and to be fully operational by 2025.
Upon partial operations, around 100,000 daily passengers are expected to benefit from the project, and some 370,000 daily passengers by its full completion. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/tunneling-work-on-metro-manila-subway-to-start-next-year/
ADB grants $2.75-billion loan for Malolos-Clark railway
The Asian Development Bank said Thursday it approved a $2.75-billion (P145-billion) loan for the construction of a 53.1-kilometer railway connecting Malolos, Bulacan to Clark International Airport in Pampanga province.
The Malolos–Clark Railway Project is a part of the government’s North–South Commuter Railway, a 163-km suburban railway network stretching from New Clark City in Tarlac province in the north to Calamba in Laguna province in the south of Manila. The NSCR project is expected to be completed by 2025.
It is expected to provide safe, reliable and affordable public transport to about 342,000 passengers who travel daily along the Manila–Clark corridor and up to 696,000 passengers per day to Calamba by 2025.
Once completed, it would cut the travel time from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport to less than one hour by rail, compared with two to three hours by car or bus today. The project is expected to be partially operational by 2022.
The project will help ease the current chronic road congestion in Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics, spur economic growth in Central Luzon and encourage a population shift from the capital to growth centers in the north such as Clark in Pampanga.
“ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years,” ADB president Takehiko Nakao said.
“The government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program is clearly steering the much-needed acceleration in infrastructure spending, from less than 2 percent of gross domestic product a decade ago to 6.3 percent now, well on track to achieve the 7-percent target by 2022. One of the key flagship projects of the BBB program is the Malolos–Clark railway,” Nakao said.
Nakao said it would be ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever and from a development perspective, “we are pleased this investment is taking place in ADB’s host country”.
“The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, metro rail transit and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila,” he said.
ADB’s 2018–2023 Country Partnership Strategy for the Philippines envisages significant and wide-ranging support for the BBB program, among other critical investments in education, financial inclusion and economic policy reforms.
ADB will finance the civil works of the Malolos–Clark Railway Project, including the stations, bridges and viaducts for the elevated railway alignment and a tunnel leading to the underground station at Clark International Airport. It will also assist the government in using global standards for procurement and environmental and resettlement safeguards.
The project is co-financed with up to $2 billion by the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the rolling stock and the railway systems.
“Our co-financing partnership with Jica allows both our institutions to combine our expertise and knowledge in building a world-class railway in the Philippines,” said ADB principal transport specialist for Southeast Asia Markus Roesner.
The project includes the construction of two rail segments―a 51.2-km section connecting Malolos City in Bulacan province to the thriving Clark regional growth center and a 1.9-km extension connecting the
NSCR to the Blumentritt Station in Manila, where an elevated interchange station for Light Rail Transit Line 1 will be built.
The rail stations will include multimodal facilities, allowing commuters to easily transfer from public buses and jeepneys to the trains. The underground station at the Clark International Airport will provide a short connection to upcoming and future airport terminals.
The project will be built on an elevated alignment, helping reduce the impact on communities, avoid disruption of activities and mitigate flood risks along the route.
It will use innovative construction methods such as pre-fabricated viaduct segments which limit the need for land acquisition and accelerate construction. High-quality construction methods will be used to achieve the maximum rail speed of up to 160 km per hour.
http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/295448/adb-grants-2-75-billion-loan-for-malolos-clark-railway.html
The Malolos–Clark Railway Project is a part of the government’s North–South Commuter Railway, a 163-km suburban railway network stretching from New Clark City in Tarlac province in the north to Calamba in Laguna province in the south of Manila. The NSCR project is expected to be completed by 2025.
It is expected to provide safe, reliable and affordable public transport to about 342,000 passengers who travel daily along the Manila–Clark corridor and up to 696,000 passengers per day to Calamba by 2025.
Once completed, it would cut the travel time from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport to less than one hour by rail, compared with two to three hours by car or bus today. The project is expected to be partially operational by 2022.
The project will help ease the current chronic road congestion in Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics, spur economic growth in Central Luzon and encourage a population shift from the capital to growth centers in the north such as Clark in Pampanga.
“ADB’s partnership with the Philippines has always been strong, and it has become stronger in the last three years,” ADB president Takehiko Nakao said.
“The government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program is clearly steering the much-needed acceleration in infrastructure spending, from less than 2 percent of gross domestic product a decade ago to 6.3 percent now, well on track to achieve the 7-percent target by 2022. One of the key flagship projects of the BBB program is the Malolos–Clark railway,” Nakao said.
Nakao said it would be ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever and from a development perspective, “we are pleased this investment is taking place in ADB’s host country”.
“The project, combined with other investments in light rail transit, metro rail transit and subway systems, will bring back the culture of rail transport in Metro Manila,” he said.
ADB’s 2018–2023 Country Partnership Strategy for the Philippines envisages significant and wide-ranging support for the BBB program, among other critical investments in education, financial inclusion and economic policy reforms.
ADB will finance the civil works of the Malolos–Clark Railway Project, including the stations, bridges and viaducts for the elevated railway alignment and a tunnel leading to the underground station at Clark International Airport. It will also assist the government in using global standards for procurement and environmental and resettlement safeguards.
The project is co-financed with up to $2 billion by the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the rolling stock and the railway systems.
“Our co-financing partnership with Jica allows both our institutions to combine our expertise and knowledge in building a world-class railway in the Philippines,” said ADB principal transport specialist for Southeast Asia Markus Roesner.
The project includes the construction of two rail segments―a 51.2-km section connecting Malolos City in Bulacan province to the thriving Clark regional growth center and a 1.9-km extension connecting the
NSCR to the Blumentritt Station in Manila, where an elevated interchange station for Light Rail Transit Line 1 will be built.
The rail stations will include multimodal facilities, allowing commuters to easily transfer from public buses and jeepneys to the trains. The underground station at the Clark International Airport will provide a short connection to upcoming and future airport terminals.
The project will be built on an elevated alignment, helping reduce the impact on communities, avoid disruption of activities and mitigate flood risks along the route.
It will use innovative construction methods such as pre-fabricated viaduct segments which limit the need for land acquisition and accelerate construction. High-quality construction methods will be used to achieve the maximum rail speed of up to 160 km per hour.
http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/295448/adb-grants-2-75-billion-loan-for-malolos-clark-railway.html
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
DOTr set to purchase trains for commuter railway project
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to award the contract for the procurement of trains for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project's Tutuban-Malolos segment by end of May or early June, an official said.
DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is currently conducting its evaluation on the bid proposal submitted by the consortium of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-TREC).
“We are set to award the contract, if not this month, by next month. The bid submission was in April and the financial evaluation report is now with JICA. After JICA’s concurrence, we will issue the notice of award, sign the contract, and issue the notice to proceed,” Batan said in a press briefing held in Valenzuela City on Monday.
The contract is set to be awarded to the Sumitomo-J-TREC Consortium for the procurement of 13 train sets with eight cars each.
The DOTr also plans to acquire 38 train sets for the Malolos-Clark segment within the third quarter of the year and seven train sets for the airport express trains, which will run up to 160 km. per hour from Clark International Airport to Buendia Avenue in 55 minutes.
The DOTr has awarded the contract for the first construction package of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 to the joint venture of DM Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) and Taisei Corp. last Monday.
The package involves the construction of six stations -- Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue – as well as civil works for the elevated structures and a depot in Valenzuela.
Its second package, which covers the construction work for three stations -- Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos -- was awarded to the consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. last February.
The 180-km. NSCR project, estimated to cost about PHP777.55 billion, will have 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Los Banos, Laguna to be funded through official development assistance by JICA.
It will connect PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), and the PNR Calamba project, which will run from Manila to Los Banos.
Once fully operational, the NSCR line will serve 700,000 passengers daily, Batan said.
It will also link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070323
DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is currently conducting its evaluation on the bid proposal submitted by the consortium of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-TREC).
“We are set to award the contract, if not this month, by next month. The bid submission was in April and the financial evaluation report is now with JICA. After JICA’s concurrence, we will issue the notice of award, sign the contract, and issue the notice to proceed,” Batan said in a press briefing held in Valenzuela City on Monday.
The contract is set to be awarded to the Sumitomo-J-TREC Consortium for the procurement of 13 train sets with eight cars each.
The DOTr also plans to acquire 38 train sets for the Malolos-Clark segment within the third quarter of the year and seven train sets for the airport express trains, which will run up to 160 km. per hour from Clark International Airport to Buendia Avenue in 55 minutes.
The DOTr has awarded the contract for the first construction package of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 to the joint venture of DM Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) and Taisei Corp. last Monday.
The package involves the construction of six stations -- Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue – as well as civil works for the elevated structures and a depot in Valenzuela.
Its second package, which covers the construction work for three stations -- Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos -- was awarded to the consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. last February.
The 180-km. NSCR project, estimated to cost about PHP777.55 billion, will have 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Los Banos, Laguna to be funded through official development assistance by JICA.
It will connect PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark), and the PNR Calamba project, which will run from Manila to Los Banos.
Once fully operational, the NSCR line will serve 700,000 passengers daily, Batan said.
It will also link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070323
DOTr inks contract for Tutuban-Malolos segment of North-South railway project
By Freddie Velez
CITY OF MEYCAUAYAN, Bulacan — Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Keiji Hirano, executive officer of Taisei Corporation recently led the contract signing for the start of the civil works for the Tutuban-Malolos segment of the North-South Commuter Railway project on Monday in Valenzuela City.
Tugade said the project is under Contract Package 1 of Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 and will include the construction of six railway stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue.
The 37.6-kilometer mass railway transportation that will connect the city to the National Capital Region is expected to cut travel time from one hour 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.
It will also be seamlessly integrated with PNR North 2 and PNR south commuter to form one integrated commuter railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from, and within the National Capital Region, Region III, and Region IV-A, otherwise known as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects
The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages – the first was started last February 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, while the second was started last Monday by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/21/dotr-inks-contract-for-tutuban-malolos-segment-of-north-south-railway-project/
CITY OF MEYCAUAYAN, Bulacan — Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Keiji Hirano, executive officer of Taisei Corporation recently led the contract signing for the start of the civil works for the Tutuban-Malolos segment of the North-South Commuter Railway project on Monday in Valenzuela City.
Tugade said the project is under Contract Package 1 of Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 and will include the construction of six railway stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue.
The 37.6-kilometer mass railway transportation that will connect the city to the National Capital Region is expected to cut travel time from one hour 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.
It will also be seamlessly integrated with PNR North 2 and PNR south commuter to form one integrated commuter railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from, and within the National Capital Region, Region III, and Region IV-A, otherwise known as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects
The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages – the first was started last February 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, while the second was started last Monday by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/21/dotr-inks-contract-for-tutuban-malolos-segment-of-north-south-railway-project/
Tugade wants speedy construction of P106-B Clark railway
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has asked Filipino and Japanese construction firms behind the 38-kilometer Tutuban to Malolos North-South Commuter Railway project to make it operational by 2021.
On Monday, Tugade and officials of Taisei Corp. and D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) signed the contract for the civil works of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
The project’s Phase 1 (Tutuban to Malolos) has two packages: Tutuban to Bocaue and Bocaue to Malolos.
Shorter travel time
When completed before President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends on June30, 2022, the P106-billion railway is expected to serve around 350,000 daily commuters from Tutuban to Malolos, and will reduce travel time between Manila and Bulacan from one hour and 30 minutes to only 35 minutes.
Tugade said he wanted the project to be operational as early as the third quarter of 2021.
He said the Department of Transportation was processing the remaining small portion of the right of way acquisition for the project.
Financing
The government has awarded to the consortium of DMCI Holdings Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp. the first construction package of the PNR Clark Phase 1.
“These two companies proved that they believed in the government in carrying out the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects of our President,” Tugade said during the contract signing at the terminal site in Malanday, Valenzuela City.
The project is financed through an official development assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The PNR Clark Phase 1 will have stations in Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, Meycauayan City, City of Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto. —Carmela Reyes-Estrope
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1121398/tugade-wants-speedy-construction-of-p106-b-clark-railway
On Monday, Tugade and officials of Taisei Corp. and D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) signed the contract for the civil works of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
The project’s Phase 1 (Tutuban to Malolos) has two packages: Tutuban to Bocaue and Bocaue to Malolos.
Shorter travel time
When completed before President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends on June30, 2022, the P106-billion railway is expected to serve around 350,000 daily commuters from Tutuban to Malolos, and will reduce travel time between Manila and Bulacan from one hour and 30 minutes to only 35 minutes.
Tugade said he wanted the project to be operational as early as the third quarter of 2021.
He said the Department of Transportation was processing the remaining small portion of the right of way acquisition for the project.
Financing
The government has awarded to the consortium of DMCI Holdings Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp. the first construction package of the PNR Clark Phase 1.
“These two companies proved that they believed in the government in carrying out the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects of our President,” Tugade said during the contract signing at the terminal site in Malanday, Valenzuela City.
The project is financed through an official development assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The PNR Clark Phase 1 will have stations in Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, Meycauayan City, City of Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto. —Carmela Reyes-Estrope
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1121398/tugade-wants-speedy-construction-of-p106-b-clark-railway
DOTR open to reviving emergency powers bid to address traffic crisis
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is open to reviving a shelved program to declare a traffic crisis in Metro Manila and seek so-called emergency powers from Congress after President Duterte’s allies consolidated their power after last week’s midterm polls.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters on Monday that the DOTr would remain supportive if traffic crisis bills pending before the Senate and House of Representatives were revived.
“[We will] pursue in a manner that it will not distract me from the primary projects,” Tugade said, referring to the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. “My mindset now is to finish the projects.”
The declaration of a traffic crisis was among the Duterte administration’s earliest and most controversial programs. It was deemed shelved after lawmakers failed to agree on its final form.
“Our feeling is we have submitted all the necessary papers,” Tugade said.
Among those backing the revival of traffic emergency powers is former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Senator-elect Francis Tolentino, who did not immediately respond to a text message on Monday.
Under the proposed bills, broad powers will be granted to the traffic crisis manager or traffic chief for around three years.
A key part of the legislation is the so-called action plan that will empower the traffic manager to “immediately” implement programs to alleviate congestion. This involves streamlining dated rules and regulations among local government units and on roads like Edsa and C5 and reforms in the public transport sector.
While not explicitly stated, the traffic manager may also seek to control the number of vehicles on the road.
Tugade spoke to reporters as the DOTr launched the start of civil works for the first package of the Philippine National Railways’ Clark Phase 1 project.
This is a component of the North-South Commuter Railway System, which will be interconnected with the Light Rail Transit Line 1 at the Blumentritt Station, LRT-2 at the Sta. Mesa Station and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 at the Edsa Station. It will also be connected to the Metro Manila Subway at the Nichols and FTI stations and with PNR Bicol at the Sucat Station.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages, with the first having already started construction last Feb. 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corp. and the second starting Monday by the Taisei-DMCI joint venture.
https://business.inquirer.net/270954/dotr-open-to-reviving-emergency-powers-bid-to-address-traffic-crisis
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters on Monday that the DOTr would remain supportive if traffic crisis bills pending before the Senate and House of Representatives were revived.
“[We will] pursue in a manner that it will not distract me from the primary projects,” Tugade said, referring to the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. “My mindset now is to finish the projects.”
The declaration of a traffic crisis was among the Duterte administration’s earliest and most controversial programs. It was deemed shelved after lawmakers failed to agree on its final form.
“Our feeling is we have submitted all the necessary papers,” Tugade said.
Among those backing the revival of traffic emergency powers is former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Senator-elect Francis Tolentino, who did not immediately respond to a text message on Monday.
Under the proposed bills, broad powers will be granted to the traffic crisis manager or traffic chief for around three years.
A key part of the legislation is the so-called action plan that will empower the traffic manager to “immediately” implement programs to alleviate congestion. This involves streamlining dated rules and regulations among local government units and on roads like Edsa and C5 and reforms in the public transport sector.
While not explicitly stated, the traffic manager may also seek to control the number of vehicles on the road.
Tugade spoke to reporters as the DOTr launched the start of civil works for the first package of the Philippine National Railways’ Clark Phase 1 project.
This is a component of the North-South Commuter Railway System, which will be interconnected with the Light Rail Transit Line 1 at the Blumentritt Station, LRT-2 at the Sta. Mesa Station and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 at the Edsa Station. It will also be connected to the Metro Manila Subway at the Nichols and FTI stations and with PNR Bicol at the Sucat Station.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages, with the first having already started construction last Feb. 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corp. and the second starting Monday by the Taisei-DMCI joint venture.
https://business.inquirer.net/270954/dotr-open-to-reviving-emergency-powers-bid-to-address-traffic-crisis
DoTr prepares to award rolling stock contract
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is set to award the contract to provide train sets for the Tutuban-Malolos segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project by end-May or early June.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will finance the project through a P777.55-billion loan together with the Asian Development Bank, is currently conducting financial evaluation of the bid submitted by the tandem composed of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Co. (J-TREC).
“Mag-aaward na tayo nyan if not this month, by next month. Nag-bid submission kasi tayo nyan noong Abril, ’yung financial evaluation report ay nasa JICA na for concurrence. Pagkalabas ng concurrence ng JICA ay mag-iissue na tayo ng award, pipirma ng kontrata at mag-issue ng notice to proceed (We are set to award the contract if not this month, by next month. The bid submission was in April and the financial evaluation report is now with JICA. After JICA’s concurrence, we will issue the notice of award, sign the contract and issue the notice to proceed),” he said during a briefing on Monday.
The contract set to be awarded to Sumitomo-J-TREC is for the procurement of 13 train sets with 8 cars each.
On Monday, the DoTr awarded the construction contract to DMCI Holdings, Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp. for the civil works for six train stations of the Tutuban-Malolos railway, also called the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
Actual construction also started after the contract signing, and is targeted to finish by end-2021.
The NSCR project is composed of three main railway segments that will link Clark, Pampanga to Los Banos, Laguna: a 72-kilometer line from Los Banos to Tutuban, a 38-kilometer line from Tutuban to Malolos, and a 53-kilometer line from Malolos to Clark.
The 147-kilometer project is expected to be fully operational by 2023.
Aside from the rolling stock package for the Tutuban-Malolos segment, the NSCR project also involves two more rolling stock packages that will be bid out eventually. These are for the 38 train sets for the Malolos-Clark and Tutuban-Calamba segment of the railway project, and the seven train sets for the airport commuter service.
“’Yung pangalawa nating rolling stock package, ’yung 38 na train sets, ’yan ay for publication nitong third quarter of 2019 [The call for bids for the second rolling stock package involving the 38 train sets is for publication by the third quarter of 2019],” Mr. Batan said.
The last package is for the airport express trains, which are high-speed trains that could run up to 160 kilometers per hour, making the travel time from the Clark International Airport to the would-be station in Buendia run in 55 minutes. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/dotr-prepares-to-award-rolling-stock-contract/
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will finance the project through a P777.55-billion loan together with the Asian Development Bank, is currently conducting financial evaluation of the bid submitted by the tandem composed of Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Transport Engineering Co. (J-TREC).
“Mag-aaward na tayo nyan if not this month, by next month. Nag-bid submission kasi tayo nyan noong Abril, ’yung financial evaluation report ay nasa JICA na for concurrence. Pagkalabas ng concurrence ng JICA ay mag-iissue na tayo ng award, pipirma ng kontrata at mag-issue ng notice to proceed (We are set to award the contract if not this month, by next month. The bid submission was in April and the financial evaluation report is now with JICA. After JICA’s concurrence, we will issue the notice of award, sign the contract and issue the notice to proceed),” he said during a briefing on Monday.
The contract set to be awarded to Sumitomo-J-TREC is for the procurement of 13 train sets with 8 cars each.
On Monday, the DoTr awarded the construction contract to DMCI Holdings, Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp. for the civil works for six train stations of the Tutuban-Malolos railway, also called the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
Actual construction also started after the contract signing, and is targeted to finish by end-2021.
The NSCR project is composed of three main railway segments that will link Clark, Pampanga to Los Banos, Laguna: a 72-kilometer line from Los Banos to Tutuban, a 38-kilometer line from Tutuban to Malolos, and a 53-kilometer line from Malolos to Clark.
The 147-kilometer project is expected to be fully operational by 2023.
Aside from the rolling stock package for the Tutuban-Malolos segment, the NSCR project also involves two more rolling stock packages that will be bid out eventually. These are for the 38 train sets for the Malolos-Clark and Tutuban-Calamba segment of the railway project, and the seven train sets for the airport commuter service.
“’Yung pangalawa nating rolling stock package, ’yung 38 na train sets, ’yan ay for publication nitong third quarter of 2019 [The call for bids for the second rolling stock package involving the 38 train sets is for publication by the third quarter of 2019],” Mr. Batan said.
The last package is for the airport express trains, which are high-speed trains that could run up to 160 kilometers per hour, making the travel time from the Clark International Airport to the would-be station in Buendia run in 55 minutes. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/dotr-prepares-to-award-rolling-stock-contract/
DOTr firms up multiphase completion of NSCR project
Following the signing of the deal for the construction of the first portion of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project on Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is preparing for the acquisition of new rolling stocks to serve the future train line that will connect Clark and Calamba in just two hours.
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said there will be three packages for the acquisition of new trains for the proposed commuter railway system.
The first one, which is already on its way, is for the Tutuban-Malolos alignment. It will consist of 13 train sets with eight cars each. This is expected to be awarded to Sumitomo Corp. and JR East Railway of Japan sometime in the next two months.
The second package, on the other hand, involves the supply of 38 train sets in eight-car configuration, which will be used for the Malolos-Clark alignment. The publication of the invitation to bid for this is scheduled for the third quarter of the year.
The third package is for the supply of seven express train sets with eight cars each to serve the airport line. In total, the future commuter line will have a rolling stock portfolio of 58 train sets, or a total of 464 cars.
“The beauty of it is that because the system is interoperable, the first trains can run all the way to Clark and all the way to Calamba,” Batan said.
Envisioned as a 147-kilometer elevated, double-track railway that will run from the Clark International Airport to Los Banos, Laguna, the 36-station NSCR will cost the government roughly P777.55 billion to build. The entire NSCR line aims to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational.
For its first portion, which is the PNR Clark Phase 1, the government has tapped Filipino-Japanese joint venture D.M. Consunji Inc.-Taisei Corp. to build the first six stations of the line. These stations are in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue.
Its second contract package, which covers the construction works for three stations, namely, Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos, started in February with Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. winning the contract. Lorenz S. Marasigan
PNR Clark Phase 1 is a 37.6-kilometer railway that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan.
Once PNR Clark Phase 1 is completed and fully operable by the last quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Bulacan will be reduced from 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. This rail line is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/05/21/dotr-firms-up-multiphase-completion-of-nscr-project/
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said there will be three packages for the acquisition of new trains for the proposed commuter railway system.
The first one, which is already on its way, is for the Tutuban-Malolos alignment. It will consist of 13 train sets with eight cars each. This is expected to be awarded to Sumitomo Corp. and JR East Railway of Japan sometime in the next two months.
The second package, on the other hand, involves the supply of 38 train sets in eight-car configuration, which will be used for the Malolos-Clark alignment. The publication of the invitation to bid for this is scheduled for the third quarter of the year.
The third package is for the supply of seven express train sets with eight cars each to serve the airport line. In total, the future commuter line will have a rolling stock portfolio of 58 train sets, or a total of 464 cars.
“The beauty of it is that because the system is interoperable, the first trains can run all the way to Clark and all the way to Calamba,” Batan said.
Envisioned as a 147-kilometer elevated, double-track railway that will run from the Clark International Airport to Los Banos, Laguna, the 36-station NSCR will cost the government roughly P777.55 billion to build. The entire NSCR line aims to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational.
For its first portion, which is the PNR Clark Phase 1, the government has tapped Filipino-Japanese joint venture D.M. Consunji Inc.-Taisei Corp. to build the first six stations of the line. These stations are in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue.
Its second contract package, which covers the construction works for three stations, namely, Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos, started in February with Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. winning the contract. Lorenz S. Marasigan
PNR Clark Phase 1 is a 37.6-kilometer railway that will run from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan.
Once PNR Clark Phase 1 is completed and fully operable by the last quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Bulacan will be reduced from 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. This rail line is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/05/21/dotr-firms-up-multiphase-completion-of-nscr-project/
Work starts on P2-B PNR Clark line
Phase 1 to link Malolos to Tutuban
By Emmie V. Abadilla
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday started work on the second package of the over P2-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 linking Tutuban, Manila with Malolos, Bulacan.
The project is part of the P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project spanning 147 kilometers, with a total of 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.
Phase 1 of the railway with cut travel time to Bulacan from the current one and a half hours to 35 minutes and will serve more than 340,000 passengers per day when it becomes operational by 2021.
It consists of 2 Civil Works Packages, with the first having already started construction this February 15, by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second, started yesterday, May 20, by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
This initial phase of the PNR Clark Railway Project will eventually extend all the way to Clark, Pampanga.
It will have 10 stations: Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto, with a depot in Valenzuela city.
Furthermore, Phase 1 will be seamlessly integrated with PNR Clark Phase 2 going to Clark, Pampanga and PNR South Commuter going to Calamba, Laguna, forming one integrated commuter railway system serving commuters travelling to, from, and within NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A.
The PNR Clark project took the place of the defunct Northrail project, which the government abandoned after reaching an out-of-court settlement with its Chinese contractor after many years of arbitration proceedings.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
It spans 147-km., a fully-elevated, dual-track, electrified, and high capacity commuter railway, with 37 stations, and a fleet of 58 8-car train sets, or a total of 464 train cars. It will connect 26 local government units in all.
The NSCR System will link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. It is expected to serve some 700,000 passengers per day once it is fully operational in 2023,connecting Clark Airport to Buendia in as short as 55 minutes, and Clark Airport to Calamba in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
PNR Clark Phase 2 consists of 5 Civil Works Packages, with the first three packages scheduled for Bid Submission in July 2019, and the 4th and 5th packages scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.
PNR Calamba, meanwhile, consists of 7 Civil Works Packages, with the first package for its Partial Operability Section already scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019, and the 2nd to the 7th packages scheduled for publication also in the 3rd Quarter 2019.
The 14 Civil Works Packages, 2 Electromechanical Packages, and 3 Rolling Stock Packages of the NSCR System are being co-financed by the Government of Japan through JICA, and by the Asian Development Bank, and are being procured together with the PNR and the Procurement Service of the DBM, following JICA’s and the ADB’s Procurement Guidelines.
PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 will be operational by early 2022, while PNR Calamba will be partially operational by 2022 and fully operational by 2023.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/20/work-starts-on-p2-b-pnr-clark-line/
By Emmie V. Abadilla
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday started work on the second package of the over P2-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 linking Tutuban, Manila with Malolos, Bulacan.
The project is part of the P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project spanning 147 kilometers, with a total of 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.
Phase 1 of the railway with cut travel time to Bulacan from the current one and a half hours to 35 minutes and will serve more than 340,000 passengers per day when it becomes operational by 2021.
It consists of 2 Civil Works Packages, with the first having already started construction this February 15, by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second, started yesterday, May 20, by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
This initial phase of the PNR Clark Railway Project will eventually extend all the way to Clark, Pampanga.
It will have 10 stations: Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto, with a depot in Valenzuela city.
Furthermore, Phase 1 will be seamlessly integrated with PNR Clark Phase 2 going to Clark, Pampanga and PNR South Commuter going to Calamba, Laguna, forming one integrated commuter railway system serving commuters travelling to, from, and within NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A.
The PNR Clark project took the place of the defunct Northrail project, which the government abandoned after reaching an out-of-court settlement with its Chinese contractor after many years of arbitration proceedings.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
It spans 147-km., a fully-elevated, dual-track, electrified, and high capacity commuter railway, with 37 stations, and a fleet of 58 8-car train sets, or a total of 464 train cars. It will connect 26 local government units in all.
The NSCR System will link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. It is expected to serve some 700,000 passengers per day once it is fully operational in 2023,connecting Clark Airport to Buendia in as short as 55 minutes, and Clark Airport to Calamba in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
PNR Clark Phase 2 consists of 5 Civil Works Packages, with the first three packages scheduled for Bid Submission in July 2019, and the 4th and 5th packages scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.
PNR Calamba, meanwhile, consists of 7 Civil Works Packages, with the first package for its Partial Operability Section already scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019, and the 2nd to the 7th packages scheduled for publication also in the 3rd Quarter 2019.
The 14 Civil Works Packages, 2 Electromechanical Packages, and 3 Rolling Stock Packages of the NSCR System are being co-financed by the Government of Japan through JICA, and by the Asian Development Bank, and are being procured together with the PNR and the Procurement Service of the DBM, following JICA’s and the ADB’s Procurement Guidelines.
PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 will be operational by early 2022, while PNR Calamba will be partially operational by 2022 and fully operational by 2023.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/20/work-starts-on-p2-b-pnr-clark-line/
Tutuban-Malolos rail construction proceeds
Japanese and local contractors started the construction of train stations along the Tutuban-Malolos segment of PNR Clark Phase 1 following the signing of a contract, the Department of Transportation said Monday.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Taisei Corp. managing executive officer Keiji Hirano signed the contract, with D.M. Consunji Inc. president and chief executive Jorge Consunji serving as a witness. Taisei and DMCI formed a joint venture to build the 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1.
PNR Clark Phase 1 will run from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan. The first package consists of civil works for elevated structures, a depot in Valenzuela and the construction of six stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue.
Tugade said the construction works for the second package actually started in February and covered three stations in Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos, while the development of six stations under the first package began Monday.
He said that once PNR Clark Phase 1 was completed and became operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Malolos would be reduced from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. The rail line once completed is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.
“Last February, we started the actual construction of three stations, from Bocaue to Malolos. Now we are here to start the second phase of PNR Clark 1 from Tutuban to Bocaue...Today is a humble response to the president’s order to improve Filipino lives through enhanced mobility and connectivity,” Tugade said.
PNR Clark Phase 1 forms part of the North-South Commuter Railway Project―a mega rail network that aims to seamlessly integrate the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, through PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 (Tutuban-Malolos and Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba (Manila-Laguna).
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy Batan said the entire NSCR line aimed to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational.
“The North-South Commuter Railway System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects, demonstrates the scale of what the DOTr, under the strong leadership of Secretary Tugade, is working triple, if not quadruple, time to deliver. It is indeed a most ambitious project that will usher in the Philippines’ ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure,’ and that will deliver our president’s promise of a more comfortable life to every Filipino,” Batan said.
Tugade said the DOTr and the PNR were expediting the acquisition of right of way to complete the construction of the stations.
“As I speak today, we have completed 90.1 percent of the right of way. We have 443,000 square meters finalized and clear. With the efforts of the PNR and the DOTr, in a matter of time, the properties will be delivered free and clear so that the Filipino people can ride and experience the rail system ahead of time,” Tugade said.
Consunji said that together with Taisei Corp., they would deliver their commitment once the ROW was free and clear.
“DMCI, together with Taisei, is proud in welcoming the changes to advance the progress of our nation. Secretary Tugade, you give us the right of way, and we will deliver right away,” Consunji said.
“This is a good example of having a stronger collaboration not just between our two governments but with the private sector, as well. It has always been a great honor for Jica to be part of the Philippine government’s undertakings and be given the opportunity to work with the Department of Transportation in improving the daily commuting experience of the Filipinos,” said Jica chief representative Yoshio Wada said.
PNR Clark Phase 1 is funded by official development assistance from Japan through Jica.
http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/295209/tutuban-malolos-rail-construction-proceeds.html
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Taisei Corp. managing executive officer Keiji Hirano signed the contract, with D.M. Consunji Inc. president and chief executive Jorge Consunji serving as a witness. Taisei and DMCI formed a joint venture to build the 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1.
PNR Clark Phase 1 will run from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan. The first package consists of civil works for elevated structures, a depot in Valenzuela and the construction of six stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue.
Tugade said the construction works for the second package actually started in February and covered three stations in Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos, while the development of six stations under the first package began Monday.
He said that once PNR Clark Phase 1 was completed and became operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Malolos would be reduced from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. The rail line once completed is expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.
“Last February, we started the actual construction of three stations, from Bocaue to Malolos. Now we are here to start the second phase of PNR Clark 1 from Tutuban to Bocaue...Today is a humble response to the president’s order to improve Filipino lives through enhanced mobility and connectivity,” Tugade said.
PNR Clark Phase 1 forms part of the North-South Commuter Railway Project―a mega rail network that aims to seamlessly integrate the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, through PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 (Tutuban-Malolos and Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba (Manila-Laguna).
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy Batan said the entire NSCR line aimed to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational.
“The North-South Commuter Railway System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects, demonstrates the scale of what the DOTr, under the strong leadership of Secretary Tugade, is working triple, if not quadruple, time to deliver. It is indeed a most ambitious project that will usher in the Philippines’ ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure,’ and that will deliver our president’s promise of a more comfortable life to every Filipino,” Batan said.
Tugade said the DOTr and the PNR were expediting the acquisition of right of way to complete the construction of the stations.
“As I speak today, we have completed 90.1 percent of the right of way. We have 443,000 square meters finalized and clear. With the efforts of the PNR and the DOTr, in a matter of time, the properties will be delivered free and clear so that the Filipino people can ride and experience the rail system ahead of time,” Tugade said.
Consunji said that together with Taisei Corp., they would deliver their commitment once the ROW was free and clear.
“DMCI, together with Taisei, is proud in welcoming the changes to advance the progress of our nation. Secretary Tugade, you give us the right of way, and we will deliver right away,” Consunji said.
“This is a good example of having a stronger collaboration not just between our two governments but with the private sector, as well. It has always been a great honor for Jica to be part of the Philippine government’s undertakings and be given the opportunity to work with the Department of Transportation in improving the daily commuting experience of the Filipinos,” said Jica chief representative Yoshio Wada said.
PNR Clark Phase 1 is funded by official development assistance from Japan through Jica.
http://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/295209/tutuban-malolos-rail-construction-proceeds.html
Monday, May 20, 2019
NLEX implements Subic Freeport Expressway Project
New expressway lanes, bridges and a tunnel will be constructed at the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) to accommodate the growing number of vehicles going to and from Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
This, as tollway operator NLEX Corporation signed an agreement for the PHP 1.6 billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project with Sta. Clara International Corporation.
“The SFEX Capacity Expansion is seen to improve traffic in the area and promote road safety as the new lanes will segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways,” NLEX Corporation said in a press statement on Monday.
The project involves the construction of two additional expressway lanes, the Jadjad and Argonaut bridges and a tunnel.
Expressway-standard LED lights will also be installed to ensure that SFEX is safe for motorists driving at night.
The capacity expansion project is in line with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) infrastructure development program which includes the improvement of airport and seaport, the widening of roads and the SBMA Corporate Center.
The NLEX Corporation estimates that the project will be completed within 16 months.
The Subic Freeport Expressway is part of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway which is being managed by NLEX.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070305
This, as tollway operator NLEX Corporation signed an agreement for the PHP 1.6 billion SFEX Capacity Expansion Project with Sta. Clara International Corporation.
“The SFEX Capacity Expansion is seen to improve traffic in the area and promote road safety as the new lanes will segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways,” NLEX Corporation said in a press statement on Monday.
The project involves the construction of two additional expressway lanes, the Jadjad and Argonaut bridges and a tunnel.
Expressway-standard LED lights will also be installed to ensure that SFEX is safe for motorists driving at night.
The capacity expansion project is in line with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) infrastructure development program which includes the improvement of airport and seaport, the widening of roads and the SBMA Corporate Center.
The NLEX Corporation estimates that the project will be completed within 16 months.
The Subic Freeport Expressway is part of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway which is being managed by NLEX.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070305
Civil works start for Metro Manila-Bulacan railway segment
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday started civil works for the Tutuban-Bocaue segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade led the Start of Works Ceremony at the NSCR Valenzuela Depot, together with Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, Undersecretary for Finance Garry De Guzman, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra, Philippine National Railways (PNR) Chairman Roberto Lastimoso, PNR General Manager Junn Magno, Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Projects Eymard Eje, and Assistant Secretary for Maritime Lino Dabi.
Tugade signed the contract on behalf of DOTr, and Taisei Corporation managing executive officer Keiji Hirano for Taisei – D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) Joint Venture, with DMCI president and CEO Jorge Consunji as witness.
In his speech, the secretary thanked Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the trust and confidence extended to the DOTr.
He also thanked the local government represented by Rep. Sherwin Tugna, for its partnership with the agency for the project in the province of Bulacan.
“We all gather today to formally start the construction of the 2nd Phase of this railway system from Tutuban to Bocaue. This railway system will be completed and operational on the 4th quarter of 2021,” Tugade said.
He also said that bidding and construction of the Malolos to Clark segment of the railway system will start in July 2019 and to be completed in 2022.
The North-South Commuter Railway project is under Contract Package 1 of Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
It will include the construction of six railway stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue.
It is a 37.6-kilometer mass railway transportation railway that will connect Malolos, Bulacan to the National Capital Region and is expected to cut travel time from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.
It will also be seamlessly integrated with PNR North 2 and PNR south to form one railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from and within the National Capital Region, Region III and Region IV-A otherwise known as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages, with the first having already started construction last February 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second starting this Monday by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
The said project is financed through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) of JICA. The loan agreement was signed on Nov. 27, 2015.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070287
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade led the Start of Works Ceremony at the NSCR Valenzuela Depot, together with Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, Undersecretary for Finance Garry De Guzman, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra, Philippine National Railways (PNR) Chairman Roberto Lastimoso, PNR General Manager Junn Magno, Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Projects Eymard Eje, and Assistant Secretary for Maritime Lino Dabi.
Tugade signed the contract on behalf of DOTr, and Taisei Corporation managing executive officer Keiji Hirano for Taisei – D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) Joint Venture, with DMCI president and CEO Jorge Consunji as witness.
In his speech, the secretary thanked Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the trust and confidence extended to the DOTr.
He also thanked the local government represented by Rep. Sherwin Tugna, for its partnership with the agency for the project in the province of Bulacan.
“We all gather today to formally start the construction of the 2nd Phase of this railway system from Tutuban to Bocaue. This railway system will be completed and operational on the 4th quarter of 2021,” Tugade said.
He also said that bidding and construction of the Malolos to Clark segment of the railway system will start in July 2019 and to be completed in 2022.
The North-South Commuter Railway project is under Contract Package 1 of Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
It will include the construction of six railway stations in Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Bocaue.
It is a 37.6-kilometer mass railway transportation railway that will connect Malolos, Bulacan to the National Capital Region and is expected to cut travel time from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.
It will also be seamlessly integrated with PNR North 2 and PNR south to form one railway system that will serve commuters traveling to, from and within the National Capital Region, Region III and Region IV-A otherwise known as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, or the combined and interoperable PNR Clark and PNR Calamba Projects.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
PNR Clark Phase 1 consists of two civil works packages, with the first having already started construction last February 15 by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second starting this Monday by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
The said project is financed through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) of JICA. The loan agreement was signed on Nov. 27, 2015.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070287
Work starts on P2-B PNR Clark line
By Emmie V. Abadilla
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday started work on the second package of the over P2-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 linking Tutuban, Manila with Malolos, Bulacan.
The project is part of the P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project spanning 147 kilometers, with a total of 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.
Phase 1 of the railway with cut travel time to Bulacan from the current one and a half hours to 35 minutes and will serve more than 340,000 passengers per day when it becomes operational by 2021.
It consists of 2 Civil Works Packages, with the first having already started construction this February 15, by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second, started yesterday, May 20, by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
This initial phase of the PNR Clark Railway Project will eventually extend all the way to Clark, Pampanga.
It will have 10 stations: Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto, with a depot in Valenzuela city.
Furthermore, Phase 1 will be seamlessly integrated with PNR Clark Phase 2 going to Clark, Pampanga and PNR South Commuter going to Calamba, Laguna, forming one integrated commuter railway system serving commuters travelling to, from, and within NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A.
The PNR Clark project took the place of the defunct Northrail project, which the government abandoned after reaching an out-of-court settlement with its Chinese contractor after many years of arbitration proceedings.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
It spans 147-km., a fully-elevated, dual-track, electrified, and high capacity commuter railway, with 37 stations, and a fleet of 58 8-car train sets, or a total of 464 train cars. It will connect 26 local government units in all.
The NSCR System will link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. It is expected to serve some 700,000 passengers per day once it is fully operational in 2023,connecting Clark Airport to Buendia in as short as 55 minutes, and Clark Airport to Calamba in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
PNR Clark Phase 2 consists of 5 Civil Works Packages, with the first three packages scheduled for Bid Submission in July 2019, and the 4th and 5th packages scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.
PNR Calamba, meanwhile, consists of 7 Civil Works Packages, with the first package for its Partial Operability Section already scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019, and the 2nd to the 7th packages scheduled for publication also in the 3rd Quarter 2019.
The 14 Civil Works Packages, 2 Electromechanical Packages, and 3 Rolling Stock Packages of the NSCR System are being co-financed by the Government of Japan through JICA, and by the Asian Development Bank, and are being procured together with the PNR and the Procurement Service of the DBM, following JICA’s and the ADB’s Procurement Guidelines.
PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 will be operational by early 2022, while PNR Calamba will be partially operational by 2022 and fully operational by 2023.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/20/work-starts-on-p2-b-pnr-clark-line/
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday started work on the second package of the over P2-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 linking Tutuban, Manila with Malolos, Bulacan.
The project is part of the P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project spanning 147 kilometers, with a total of 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.
Phase 1 of the railway with cut travel time to Bulacan from the current one and a half hours to 35 minutes and will serve more than 340,000 passengers per day when it becomes operational by 2021.
It consists of 2 Civil Works Packages, with the first having already started construction this February 15, by Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Corporation, and the second, started yesterday, May 20, by the Taisei-DMCI Joint Venture.
This initial phase of the PNR Clark Railway Project will eventually extend all the way to Clark, Pampanga.
It will have 10 stations: Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Malolos, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas and Guiguinto, with a depot in Valenzuela city.
Furthermore, Phase 1 will be seamlessly integrated with PNR Clark Phase 2 going to Clark, Pampanga and PNR South Commuter going to Calamba, Laguna, forming one integrated commuter railway system serving commuters travelling to, from, and within NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A.
The PNR Clark project took the place of the defunct Northrail project, which the government abandoned after reaching an out-of-court settlement with its Chinese contractor after many years of arbitration proceedings.
The NSCR System consists of the 38-km. PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban to Malolos, the 53-km. PNR Clark Phase 2 from Malolos to Clark, and the 56-km. PNR Calamba segments from Solis to Calamba.
It spans 147-km., a fully-elevated, dual-track, electrified, and high capacity commuter railway, with 37 stations, and a fleet of 58 8-car train sets, or a total of 464 train cars. It will connect 26 local government units in all.
The NSCR System will link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. It is expected to serve some 700,000 passengers per day once it is fully operational in 2023,connecting Clark Airport to Buendia in as short as 55 minutes, and Clark Airport to Calamba in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
PNR Clark Phase 2 consists of 5 Civil Works Packages, with the first three packages scheduled for Bid Submission in July 2019, and the 4th and 5th packages scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019.
PNR Calamba, meanwhile, consists of 7 Civil Works Packages, with the first package for its Partial Operability Section already scheduled for Bid Submission in the 3rd Quarter of 2019, and the 2nd to the 7th packages scheduled for publication also in the 3rd Quarter 2019.
The 14 Civil Works Packages, 2 Electromechanical Packages, and 3 Rolling Stock Packages of the NSCR System are being co-financed by the Government of Japan through JICA, and by the Asian Development Bank, and are being procured together with the PNR and the Procurement Service of the DBM, following JICA’s and the ADB’s Procurement Guidelines.
PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 will be operational by early 2022, while PNR Calamba will be partially operational by 2022 and fully operational by 2023.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/05/20/work-starts-on-p2-b-pnr-clark-line/
Invitations issued to bid for last rail deals in Malolos-Clark line
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is seeking bidders for the remaining components of the Malolos-Clark railway, which makes up part of the P777.55-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
The DoTr posted two invitations to bid in a newspaper Sunday: two contracts to build an underground station and a depot for the Malolos-Clark railway; and one contract to build a station for the train line’s 1.9-kilometer extension to Blumentritt.
The auction for the two remaining contracts of the 51.2-kilometer Malolos-Clark railway cover Package CP N-04, or the construction of the railway viaduct, a steel bridge and underground station at the Clark International Airport; and Package CP N-05, or the construction of its depot.
“The Bidding Documents have been prepared separately for each and shall be bid as separate contracts. However, if the bidder wishes to propose a multi-package discount, he may propose/offer a discount for the combination of the two packages,” the DoTr said in the invitation.
A pre-bid conference will be held for this auction on May 30, and the deadline of submission of bids is scheduled on Aug. 13.
For the Blumentritt extension auction, the contract is for Package CP S-01, or the construction of 1.12-kilometer railway viaduct and elevated station at Blumentritt. The pre-bid conference will be on June 3, and the deadline for submission of bids on Aug. 8.
The Malolos-Clark railway is a $2.75-billion project funded by a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The bidding for the first three contracts of the main line was started early this year, with 21 companies from seven ADB member countries were reported to have shown interest in the project.
The Malolos-Clark railway, alternatively referred to as the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 2, forms part of the 147-kilometer NSCR project, the other segments being the 56-kilometer line from Calamba to Tutuban; and the 38-kilometer line from Tutuban to Malolos, or PNR Clark Phase 1.
The whole NSCR project is to be financed by loans from the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Construction of a portion of the Tutuban-Malolos railway will start today, after the signing of contract to the tandem of DMCI Holdings, Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp.
The other portion of the Tutuban-Malolos train line started construction in February, having been awarded to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/invitations-issued-to-bid-for-last-rail-deals-in-malolos-clark-line/
The DoTr posted two invitations to bid in a newspaper Sunday: two contracts to build an underground station and a depot for the Malolos-Clark railway; and one contract to build a station for the train line’s 1.9-kilometer extension to Blumentritt.
The auction for the two remaining contracts of the 51.2-kilometer Malolos-Clark railway cover Package CP N-04, or the construction of the railway viaduct, a steel bridge and underground station at the Clark International Airport; and Package CP N-05, or the construction of its depot.
“The Bidding Documents have been prepared separately for each and shall be bid as separate contracts. However, if the bidder wishes to propose a multi-package discount, he may propose/offer a discount for the combination of the two packages,” the DoTr said in the invitation.
A pre-bid conference will be held for this auction on May 30, and the deadline of submission of bids is scheduled on Aug. 13.
For the Blumentritt extension auction, the contract is for Package CP S-01, or the construction of 1.12-kilometer railway viaduct and elevated station at Blumentritt. The pre-bid conference will be on June 3, and the deadline for submission of bids on Aug. 8.
The Malolos-Clark railway is a $2.75-billion project funded by a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The bidding for the first three contracts of the main line was started early this year, with 21 companies from seven ADB member countries were reported to have shown interest in the project.
The Malolos-Clark railway, alternatively referred to as the Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 2, forms part of the 147-kilometer NSCR project, the other segments being the 56-kilometer line from Calamba to Tutuban; and the 38-kilometer line from Tutuban to Malolos, or PNR Clark Phase 1.
The whole NSCR project is to be financed by loans from the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Construction of a portion of the Tutuban-Malolos railway will start today, after the signing of contract to the tandem of DMCI Holdings, Inc. and Japanese firm Taisei Corp.
The other portion of the Tutuban-Malolos train line started construction in February, having been awarded to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/invitations-issued-to-bid-for-last-rail-deals-in-malolos-clark-line/
Friday, May 17, 2019
DOTr to start building 6 stations under PNR Clark Phase 1 Project
By Aerol John Pateña
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will start on Monday the construction of six stations under the Tutuban to Bocaue segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project.
In a statement Friday, the DOTr said the stations that will be built are Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue which comprises the first package of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
“The six stations will be built following the signing of the contract for the civil works of the PNR Clark Phase 1,” said the DOTr.
Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddes Hope Libiran stated in an earlier interview that the DOTr has awarded to the consortium of DMCI Holdings Inc. and a Japanese firm the first construction package of the PNR Clark Phase 1 Project.
Its second package, which runs from Bocaue to Malolos, was awarded to the consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. last January.
The civil works and building components of the project have two contract packages: the first covers elevated structures, seven stations and a depot while the second includes elevated structures and three stations.
The groundbreaking of the PNR Clark Phase 1 Project was held last February 15 in Malolos, Bulacan.
The project involves a 38-kilometer rail line from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in the province of Bulacan, which is seen to serve around 340,000 passengers daily once it starts operations in 2021.
The DOTr expects travel time from Manila to Bulacan to be reduced by around 35 minutes from the current 1.5 hours
The 147-kilometer NSCR Project estimated to cost around PHP 777.55 billion will have 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.
The railway project will connect PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos) PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) and the PNR Los Banos Project, which will run from Manila to Los Banos.
It will also link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070117
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will start on Monday the construction of six stations under the Tutuban to Bocaue segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project.
In a statement Friday, the DOTr said the stations that will be built are Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao and Bocaue which comprises the first package of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1.
“The six stations will be built following the signing of the contract for the civil works of the PNR Clark Phase 1,” said the DOTr.
Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddes Hope Libiran stated in an earlier interview that the DOTr has awarded to the consortium of DMCI Holdings Inc. and a Japanese firm the first construction package of the PNR Clark Phase 1 Project.
Its second package, which runs from Bocaue to Malolos, was awarded to the consortium of Sumitomo-Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. last January.
The civil works and building components of the project have two contract packages: the first covers elevated structures, seven stations and a depot while the second includes elevated structures and three stations.
The groundbreaking of the PNR Clark Phase 1 Project was held last February 15 in Malolos, Bulacan.
The project involves a 38-kilometer rail line from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in the province of Bulacan, which is seen to serve around 340,000 passengers daily once it starts operations in 2021.
The DOTr expects travel time from Manila to Bulacan to be reduced by around 35 minutes from the current 1.5 hours
The 147-kilometer NSCR Project estimated to cost around PHP 777.55 billion will have 36 stations from Clark International Airport to Calamba, Laguna.
The railway project will connect PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos) PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) and the PNR Los Banos Project, which will run from Manila to Los Banos.
It will also link with existing railway lines LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1070117
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
MPIC still interested in MRT-3 O&M concession
THE Metro Pacific group said it remains interested in investing in the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), after the government said earlier this month that it wants the private sector to come in for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the train line.
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters last week the company still wants to be part of the Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) initiatives to improve the train system, noting its unsolicited proposal is “still there with the government.”
“I’m glad (Transportation) Secretary (Arthur P.) Tugade has mandated Sumitomo to start the rehab work for MRT-3. That’s much-needed. It’s a big step for Sec. Tugade,” he said, referring to the Japanese contractor tapped by the DoTr to rehabilitate the railway system.
Asked if the group remains keen to participate in the MRT-3’s eventual O&M, Mr. Pangilinan said, “Yes… We wait for their direction.”
MPIC, together with the Ayala Group and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd., submitted in 2017 a P20-billion unsolicited proposal to take over the MRT-3 operations over a 30- to 32-year period.
The group was given original proponent status by the DoTr in 2017, after which the proposal was supposed to be turned over to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for further evaluation.
But progress was stalled at the DoTr level due to the government’s decision to tap Japanese contractors Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo-MHI) for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3. The two parties signed the P16.985-billion, 43-month contract last year.
MPIC President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim said in January that the group may have to “reconfigure (its) proposal as an O&M” following the entry of Sumitomo-MHI.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said earlier this month that MPIC’s unsolicited proposal for the MRT-3 is still undergoing review, noting there are “legal issues” that need to be resolved first. He was referring to the ongoing arbitration case in Singapore between the Philippine government and MRT-3 contractor Metro Rail Transit Corp. over delayed equity rental payments.
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. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/mpic-still-interested-in-mrt-3-om-concession/
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters last week the company still wants to be part of the Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) initiatives to improve the train system, noting its unsolicited proposal is “still there with the government.”
“I’m glad (Transportation) Secretary (Arthur P.) Tugade has mandated Sumitomo to start the rehab work for MRT-3. That’s much-needed. It’s a big step for Sec. Tugade,” he said, referring to the Japanese contractor tapped by the DoTr to rehabilitate the railway system.
Asked if the group remains keen to participate in the MRT-3’s eventual O&M, Mr. Pangilinan said, “Yes… We wait for their direction.”
MPIC, together with the Ayala Group and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd., submitted in 2017 a P20-billion unsolicited proposal to take over the MRT-3 operations over a 30- to 32-year period.
The group was given original proponent status by the DoTr in 2017, after which the proposal was supposed to be turned over to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for further evaluation.
But progress was stalled at the DoTr level due to the government’s decision to tap Japanese contractors Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo-MHI) for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3. The two parties signed the P16.985-billion, 43-month contract last year.
MPIC President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim said in January that the group may have to “reconfigure (its) proposal as an O&M” following the entry of Sumitomo-MHI.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan said earlier this month that MPIC’s unsolicited proposal for the MRT-3 is still undergoing review, noting there are “legal issues” that need to be resolved first. He was referring to the ongoing arbitration case in Singapore between the Philippine government and MRT-3 contractor Metro Rail Transit Corp. over delayed equity rental payments.
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. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/mpic-still-interested-in-mrt-3-om-concession/
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Meralco to relocate power facilities along railway projects
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has agreed to relocate its power distribution facilities to pave the way for various railway projects being pursued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
This, as Meralco signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DOTr earlier this month for the relocation of electric posts, which are located along the right of way of projects such as the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, Common Station, MRT-7, North-South Commuter Railway System and PNR South Long Haul.
“We have already started the relocation of the electric posts along the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, MRT-7 and PNR North Phase 1 since last year,” Meralco Public Sector Head Geralyn Solidum said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) late last week.
The Meralco official said that the DOTr will provide the proposed alignment of the railway projects to facilitate the relocation of their electric poles.
“The DOTr will provide us the alignment of the railway projects for us to determine which of our poles are located along the right of way. They will give us the location where the posts will be relocated,” said Solidum.
The signing of the MOA with the DOTr will enable the power distribution firm to file a petition before the Energy Regulatory Commission to seek for the approval of its capital outlay on the clearing and relocation of its power facilities that could be traversed by the railway projects.
Meralco has earlier said that it is eyeing to allocate more than PHP4 billion to relocate distribution poles affected by railway projects under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1069791
This, as Meralco signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DOTr earlier this month for the relocation of electric posts, which are located along the right of way of projects such as the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, Common Station, MRT-7, North-South Commuter Railway System and PNR South Long Haul.
“We have already started the relocation of the electric posts along the LRT-1 Cavite Extension, MRT-7 and PNR North Phase 1 since last year,” Meralco Public Sector Head Geralyn Solidum said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) late last week.
The Meralco official said that the DOTr will provide the proposed alignment of the railway projects to facilitate the relocation of their electric poles.
“The DOTr will provide us the alignment of the railway projects for us to determine which of our poles are located along the right of way. They will give us the location where the posts will be relocated,” said Solidum.
The signing of the MOA with the DOTr will enable the power distribution firm to file a petition before the Energy Regulatory Commission to seek for the approval of its capital outlay on the clearing and relocation of its power facilities that could be traversed by the railway projects.
Meralco has earlier said that it is eyeing to allocate more than PHP4 billion to relocate distribution poles affected by railway projects under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1069791
MPTC plans to submit proposal for NLEx extension to Bataan
THE extension of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) to Bataan, also called Phase 3 of the north toll road project, is seen to move forward this year with the planned submission of a proposal to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) President Rodrigo E. Franco said the company wants to submit by second half the proposal to build more than 40 kilometers of toll road extending NLEx from San Fernando to Dinalupihan, Bataan.
“We’re studying it whether it’s timely na to pursue the construction of that project… We still have to submit a proposal to TRB. We’re hoping second half of the year, we will submit the proposal to TRB,” Mr. Franco told reporters last week.
The Phase 3 extension to Bataan is an inter-urban expressway that is part of the concession awarded to MPTC unit NLEX Corp. Mr. Franco said the project will cost “certainly more than P20 billion,” but the studies are still ongoing.
He added the company sees the project as timely, given the rapid increase in economic activities in Pampanga.
“You see that San Fernando, that Angeles area, it’s rich in urban streets eh. You may want to bypass that area already if you’re going to Bataan,” he said.
He added toll road projects outside Metro Manila are starting to gain bigger attention from MPTC as projects in the central city come with more issues because of the difficulty in constructing in crowded spaces.
“The tollways kasi, what you will notice is if it’s a project in Metro Manila, that involves a lot more complexity…. So typically, processes for Metro Manila projects take a little bit longer. So it really involves a lot more complication,” Mr. Franco said.
“We want to look at both inner city and also inter-urban. Even in NLEx, we have uncompleted segments that we want to pursue,” he added, pointing out the plans for NLEx Phase 3.
While the company intends to submit the proposal for NLEx Phase 3 by the second half, Mr. Franco said the construction may take more time.
“Right of way, as you know, needs to be acquired. So if you are talking about 40 kilometers, medyo mahaba ’yun [that’s quite long],” Mr. Franco said. “That’s why you need a long lead time for you to make the preparatory works before you can start construction of a project.”
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., 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. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/mptc-plans-to-submit-proposal-for-nlex-extension-to-bataan/
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) President Rodrigo E. Franco said the company wants to submit by second half the proposal to build more than 40 kilometers of toll road extending NLEx from San Fernando to Dinalupihan, Bataan.
“We’re studying it whether it’s timely na to pursue the construction of that project… We still have to submit a proposal to TRB. We’re hoping second half of the year, we will submit the proposal to TRB,” Mr. Franco told reporters last week.
The Phase 3 extension to Bataan is an inter-urban expressway that is part of the concession awarded to MPTC unit NLEX Corp. Mr. Franco said the project will cost “certainly more than P20 billion,” but the studies are still ongoing.
He added the company sees the project as timely, given the rapid increase in economic activities in Pampanga.
“You see that San Fernando, that Angeles area, it’s rich in urban streets eh. You may want to bypass that area already if you’re going to Bataan,” he said.
He added toll road projects outside Metro Manila are starting to gain bigger attention from MPTC as projects in the central city come with more issues because of the difficulty in constructing in crowded spaces.
“The tollways kasi, what you will notice is if it’s a project in Metro Manila, that involves a lot more complexity…. So typically, processes for Metro Manila projects take a little bit longer. So it really involves a lot more complication,” Mr. Franco said.
“We want to look at both inner city and also inter-urban. Even in NLEx, we have uncompleted segments that we want to pursue,” he added, pointing out the plans for NLEx Phase 3.
While the company intends to submit the proposal for NLEx Phase 3 by the second half, Mr. Franco said the construction may take more time.
“Right of way, as you know, needs to be acquired. So if you are talking about 40 kilometers, medyo mahaba ’yun [that’s quite long],” Mr. Franco said. “That’s why you need a long lead time for you to make the preparatory works before you can start construction of a project.”
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., 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. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/mptc-plans-to-submit-proposal-for-nlex-extension-to-bataan/
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Motoring Today I Motoring News I LRT 1 Cavite Extension Construction B...
The DOTr and the LRTA, together with Light Rail Manila Corporation, have kicked off the full-blast construction of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension project, which will connect the province of Cavite to Metro Manila.
The project is under the Duterte government’s Build, Build, Build program that will extend the current line up to 11.7 kilometer to Niog in Bacoor, Cavite.
Eight brand new stations are expected to be completed which will cross Paranaque and Las Pinas, leading to Bacoor. It also has provisions for the construction of two additional passenger stations in the future.
According to DOTr, once the project is completed, travel time from Cavite to Baclaran will be reduced to 25 minutes from 1 hour and 10 minutes. The department added that it will also accommodate up to 800,000 passengers daily.
LRT-1 has also acquired new 120 Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) or bagons which will benefit train commuters and passengers.
The government calls to the public for patience and understanding for the inconveniences the construction activities may temporarily cause, and says they are targeting the partial operability of the first five stations of the extension line in two years, or by 2021.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension to Reduce Travel Time from 1 Hour to 25 Minutes
It got delayed for two decades–and passed three administrations before its construction started. Still, the long wait is finally over. Last Tuesday, May 7, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade led officials from the DOTr, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), Light Rail Manila Corp (LRMC) and project partners to witness the official start of construction of the LRT Line 1 Cavite extension.
Secretary Tugade expressed his support for the project, and explained that the two-year delay was the result of factors such as right of way issues, relocation of various utilities, and acquisition of light rail vehicles.
The LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension is a major infrastructure from Cavite to Greater Manila and is part of President Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program.
The project will stretch the existing line from20 kilometers to 32.4 kilometers, adding in around 11.7 kilometers. It will also include eight brand new stations from its last station in Baclaran (crossing the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas, leading to the city of Bacoor in Cavite), and will be located at Redemptorist, MIA MIA, Asiaworld, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog.
Secretary Tugade also added that partial operations from Baclaran to Dr. Santos station is expected to be finished by the 4th quarter of 2021.
Tugade also added that traveling from Baclaran to Cavite will be shortened to 25 minutes instead of the usual 1 hour and 10 minutes of travel time. They also plan to double the average daily ridership, from the current 458,000 to around 800,000 commuters.
https://www.carmudi.com.ph/journal/lrt-line-1-cavite-extension-to-reduce-travel-time-from-1-hour-to-25-minutes/
Secretary Tugade expressed his support for the project, and explained that the two-year delay was the result of factors such as right of way issues, relocation of various utilities, and acquisition of light rail vehicles.
The LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension is a major infrastructure from Cavite to Greater Manila and is part of President Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program.
The project will stretch the existing line from20 kilometers to 32.4 kilometers, adding in around 11.7 kilometers. It will also include eight brand new stations from its last station in Baclaran (crossing the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas, leading to the city of Bacoor in Cavite), and will be located at Redemptorist, MIA MIA, Asiaworld, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog.
Secretary Tugade also added that partial operations from Baclaran to Dr. Santos station is expected to be finished by the 4th quarter of 2021.
Tugade also added that traveling from Baclaran to Cavite will be shortened to 25 minutes instead of the usual 1 hour and 10 minutes of travel time. They also plan to double the average daily ridership, from the current 458,000 to around 800,000 commuters.
https://www.carmudi.com.ph/journal/lrt-line-1-cavite-extension-to-reduce-travel-time-from-1-hour-to-25-minutes/
Friday, May 10, 2019
LRT-1 to Cavite
The railway network service will soon connect us from Baclaran to Cavite. That will be 11.7 kilometers that will be added to the existing Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1).
Construction work on the extension of the LRT-1 extension finally started Tuesday, two years after its ground breaking ceremony.
The LRT-1 extension project will feature eight new train stations, five of which will be partially operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, said Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who led the official start of actual construction.
The usual travel time of one hour and 10 minutes from Baclaran to Cavite and vice versa will be reduced to 25 minutes once the railway network is completed.
The project had its ground breaking ceremony in May 2017 but construction did not follow right away due to right-of-way issues.
The transportation chief said when the current administration assumed office “there was no right of way in 2016, in 2017. It is zero certification.”
“But after two years that zero certification is now more than 92 percent (completed). In other words, in terms of right of way, this project is a go,” Tugade said.
It was also disclosed that the LRT-1 Cavite extension is an 18-year pipe dream until yesterday.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said it has been 18 years since the project to extend LRT-1 to Cavite was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority.
In the span of two years, Tugade reported that informal settler families affected by the project have been relocated while additional light rail vehicles have started arriving into the country.
A deal to extend Baclaran Depot and build an additional depot for the vehicles have also been closed and now under way.
***
Bad road accident
This week, there was a bad road accident that should serve to remind us to always be alert on the road – and to give attention to the maintenance of our vehicles.
Last Tuesday, a rear tire which exploded caused an accident which killed one passenger and injured 14 others.
Police investigation disclosed that a van was traveling along the northbound lane of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Lawang Bato, Valenzuela at around 8 a.m. when it slammed into the steel railings of the expressway, and flipped over.
Police Corporal Kristin Singayan, traffic division administrator, said that the rear tire of the vehicle exploded causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
***
Toyota’s Biggest Summer Blowout
Toyota Motor Philippines is presenting its “Biggest Summer Blowout this May to make ownership of a Toyota car easier. The promo covers the Vios, Innova, Hilux,
Fortuner, and more.
Customers can choose to pay low with the all-in package at an affordable 15 percent down payment – and get free first year insurance and three-year LTO registration; or pay light with low monthly plans at 50 percent down payment and 60 months to pay. Outright cash discounts are also available.
Opting for a Pay Light package will let you own a Vios J MT through light monthly payments of P7,080 per month. For outright cash payments, you may get up to P110,000 savings for the Vios G and G+ variants. In addition to that, Vios G and E (including Prime) variants come with free maintenance package up to 20,000 kilometers.
Summer deals are also available for other models –P100,000 savings on the Hilux, as much as P90,000 on the Fortuner, and as much as P70,000 on the Innova. Promo runs until May 31 only.
***
By Pinky Concha Colmenares
https://newsbits.mb.com.ph/2019/05/10/lrt-1-to-cavite/
Construction work on the extension of the LRT-1 extension finally started Tuesday, two years after its ground breaking ceremony.
The LRT-1 extension project will feature eight new train stations, five of which will be partially operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, said Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who led the official start of actual construction.
The usual travel time of one hour and 10 minutes from Baclaran to Cavite and vice versa will be reduced to 25 minutes once the railway network is completed.
The project had its ground breaking ceremony in May 2017 but construction did not follow right away due to right-of-way issues.
The transportation chief said when the current administration assumed office “there was no right of way in 2016, in 2017. It is zero certification.”
“But after two years that zero certification is now more than 92 percent (completed). In other words, in terms of right of way, this project is a go,” Tugade said.
It was also disclosed that the LRT-1 Cavite extension is an 18-year pipe dream until yesterday.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said it has been 18 years since the project to extend LRT-1 to Cavite was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority.
In the span of two years, Tugade reported that informal settler families affected by the project have been relocated while additional light rail vehicles have started arriving into the country.
A deal to extend Baclaran Depot and build an additional depot for the vehicles have also been closed and now under way.
***
Bad road accident
This week, there was a bad road accident that should serve to remind us to always be alert on the road – and to give attention to the maintenance of our vehicles.
Last Tuesday, a rear tire which exploded caused an accident which killed one passenger and injured 14 others.
Police investigation disclosed that a van was traveling along the northbound lane of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Lawang Bato, Valenzuela at around 8 a.m. when it slammed into the steel railings of the expressway, and flipped over.
Police Corporal Kristin Singayan, traffic division administrator, said that the rear tire of the vehicle exploded causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
***
Toyota’s Biggest Summer Blowout
Toyota Motor Philippines is presenting its “Biggest Summer Blowout this May to make ownership of a Toyota car easier. The promo covers the Vios, Innova, Hilux,
Fortuner, and more.
Customers can choose to pay low with the all-in package at an affordable 15 percent down payment – and get free first year insurance and three-year LTO registration; or pay light with low monthly plans at 50 percent down payment and 60 months to pay. Outright cash discounts are also available.
Opting for a Pay Light package will let you own a Vios J MT through light monthly payments of P7,080 per month. For outright cash payments, you may get up to P110,000 savings for the Vios G and G+ variants. In addition to that, Vios G and E (including Prime) variants come with free maintenance package up to 20,000 kilometers.
Summer deals are also available for other models –P100,000 savings on the Hilux, as much as P90,000 on the Fortuner, and as much as P70,000 on the Innova. Promo runs until May 31 only.
***
By Pinky Concha Colmenares
https://newsbits.mb.com.ph/2019/05/10/lrt-1-to-cavite/
Thursday, May 9, 2019
JICA supports LRT-1’s 11.7-kilometer extension to Cavite
By Roy Mabasa
To address transport demand and ease traffic congestion in and around Metro Manila, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has expressed its support to the upcoming construction of the Light Rail Transit-Line 1 (LRT-1) South Extension (Cavite) Project.
Slated to begin this week, the project includes the extension of LRT-1 by 11.7 kilometers up to Cavite wherein JICA will be supporting the provision of new rolling stocks, rehabilitation of the existing Baclaran Depot, and construction of a new satellite depot in Zapote, Cavite.
The project will be using Japanese technology and products, while the civil and station works are implemented via Public-Private Partnership.
Once completed, JICA said the project will increase the capacity of LRT-1 to 800,000 passengers daily from the current 500,000.
“The expansion of LRT Line 1 is part of JICA’s continuing support to the Philippines’ growing demand for quality mass transportation system. Improving the railway system in Metro Manila and surrounding areas will also help build the north-south transport backbone, attract more investments, and help create jobs,” JICA Philippines Chief Representative Yoshio Wada said in a statement.
A 2017 JICA survey on Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Greater Capital Region showed that traffic demand in Metro Manila has reached 13.4 million trips per day, and 5.1 million trips per day in its adjoining areas that include Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite.
Since the ‘70s, JICA has been supporting quality transport infrastructure in the Philippines with 45 percent of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan portfolio channeled to improving infrastructure, including in remote areas.
JICA is also supporting the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), the first Metro Manila Subway, and the capacity building on Philippine railway management via the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI).
These Japanese-supported transport infrastructure projects are envisioning a shift from road-based transport to rail-based mass transit to help ease the worsening traffic condition in Metro Manila brought by rapid urbanization and population growth.
Metro Manila’s urban rail systems have operated since the mid-1980s (LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, and LRT Line 2) and transport demand has increased since.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/09/jica-supports-lrt-1s-11-7-kilometer-extension-to-cavite/
To address transport demand and ease traffic congestion in and around Metro Manila, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has expressed its support to the upcoming construction of the Light Rail Transit-Line 1 (LRT-1) South Extension (Cavite) Project.
Slated to begin this week, the project includes the extension of LRT-1 by 11.7 kilometers up to Cavite wherein JICA will be supporting the provision of new rolling stocks, rehabilitation of the existing Baclaran Depot, and construction of a new satellite depot in Zapote, Cavite.
The project will be using Japanese technology and products, while the civil and station works are implemented via Public-Private Partnership.
Once completed, JICA said the project will increase the capacity of LRT-1 to 800,000 passengers daily from the current 500,000.
“The expansion of LRT Line 1 is part of JICA’s continuing support to the Philippines’ growing demand for quality mass transportation system. Improving the railway system in Metro Manila and surrounding areas will also help build the north-south transport backbone, attract more investments, and help create jobs,” JICA Philippines Chief Representative Yoshio Wada said in a statement.
A 2017 JICA survey on Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Greater Capital Region showed that traffic demand in Metro Manila has reached 13.4 million trips per day, and 5.1 million trips per day in its adjoining areas that include Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite.
Since the ‘70s, JICA has been supporting quality transport infrastructure in the Philippines with 45 percent of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan portfolio channeled to improving infrastructure, including in remote areas.
JICA is also supporting the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), the first Metro Manila Subway, and the capacity building on Philippine railway management via the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI).
These Japanese-supported transport infrastructure projects are envisioning a shift from road-based transport to rail-based mass transit to help ease the worsening traffic condition in Metro Manila brought by rapid urbanization and population growth.
Metro Manila’s urban rail systems have operated since the mid-1980s (LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, and LRT Line 2) and transport demand has increased since.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/09/jica-supports-lrt-1s-11-7-kilometer-extension-to-cavite/
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
LRT-2 trains to be delivered
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| Seoul Metro 2000-series (third generation, second batch) |
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| Seoul Metro 2000-series (fourth generation) |
Construction of LRT-1 Cavite extension gets under way; partial operations by 2021
THE extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) to Cavite is seen to benefit passengers by as soon as the fourth quarter of 2021, as construction began on the project on Tuesday — nearly five years after it was awarded to the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC).
In a ceremony in Parañaque City on Tuesday, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and LRT-1 operator LRMC officially started work on the project extending the existing train line from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.
“The dream that was more than two decades ago is a reality today, and will soon be a reality by the (fourth) quarter of 2021. Our project proponent said we can do partial operability in 2022… (But) I want a partial operability by the last quarter of 2021,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said in a ceremony in Parañaque City.
The Aquino administration awarded LRMC the P65-billion public-private partnership (PPP) project in September 2014. The company was allowed to take over the operations and maintenance of the LRT-1 system in September 2015.
Under the project, 11.7 kilometers will be added to the existing 18.1-kilometer LRT-1. Eight new stations will be opened, namely Redemptorist, NAIA Avenue, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog. This is seen to increase its daily ridership to 800,000 from the current 500,000.
“Yung funding for the construction naka-earmark na ’yun. (The funding for the construction has already been earmarked.) It’s P24-30 billion. There are components funded by LRMC, and other components funded by the government. So it’s roughly about P25 billion for the extension,” LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Juan F. Alfonso said.
Apart from the construction of the extension by LRMC, the project includes the procurement of new trains, expansion of its depot and acquisition of right of way. These other components will be funded in part by the Government of the Philippines and by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Philippines had signed a P12.8-billion contract with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and its technical partner Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles in 2017 to buy 120 new light rail vehicles, which are scheduled to be delivered starting July 2020 until 2022.
A P4.5-billion contract was also signed with Shimizu Corp. in February for the expansion of the existing depot in Baclaran and construction of a new satellite depot in Zapote. These will be used to house the new train sets that will be arriving.
Right-of-way acquisition will be financed by the Philippine government. Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan reported more than 90% of the right-of-way for the Cavite extension’s first package has already been cleared, covering the first five stations from Redemptorist to Dr. Santos in Sucat.
“With today’s ceremony for LRT-1 Cavite extension, we at the (Department of Transportation)…are happy to report that all multi-decade, pending projects that we found ourselves catching up on are finally in full motion,” Mr. Batan said, noting the project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in 2002.
LRMC is the consortium of Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd.
Metro Pacific Investment Corp. is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/construction-of-lrt-1-cavite-extension-gets-under-way-partial-operations-by-2021/
In a ceremony in Parañaque City on Tuesday, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and LRT-1 operator LRMC officially started work on the project extending the existing train line from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.
“The dream that was more than two decades ago is a reality today, and will soon be a reality by the (fourth) quarter of 2021. Our project proponent said we can do partial operability in 2022… (But) I want a partial operability by the last quarter of 2021,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said in a ceremony in Parañaque City.
The Aquino administration awarded LRMC the P65-billion public-private partnership (PPP) project in September 2014. The company was allowed to take over the operations and maintenance of the LRT-1 system in September 2015.
Under the project, 11.7 kilometers will be added to the existing 18.1-kilometer LRT-1. Eight new stations will be opened, namely Redemptorist, NAIA Avenue, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog. This is seen to increase its daily ridership to 800,000 from the current 500,000.
“Yung funding for the construction naka-earmark na ’yun. (The funding for the construction has already been earmarked.) It’s P24-30 billion. There are components funded by LRMC, and other components funded by the government. So it’s roughly about P25 billion for the extension,” LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Juan F. Alfonso said.
Apart from the construction of the extension by LRMC, the project includes the procurement of new trains, expansion of its depot and acquisition of right of way. These other components will be funded in part by the Government of the Philippines and by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Philippines had signed a P12.8-billion contract with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and its technical partner Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles in 2017 to buy 120 new light rail vehicles, which are scheduled to be delivered starting July 2020 until 2022.
A P4.5-billion contract was also signed with Shimizu Corp. in February for the expansion of the existing depot in Baclaran and construction of a new satellite depot in Zapote. These will be used to house the new train sets that will be arriving.
Right-of-way acquisition will be financed by the Philippine government. Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan reported more than 90% of the right-of-way for the Cavite extension’s first package has already been cleared, covering the first five stations from Redemptorist to Dr. Santos in Sucat.
“With today’s ceremony for LRT-1 Cavite extension, we at the (Department of Transportation)…are happy to report that all multi-decade, pending projects that we found ourselves catching up on are finally in full motion,” Mr. Batan said, noting the project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in 2002.
LRMC is the consortium of Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd.
Metro Pacific Investment Corp. is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. — Denise A. Valdez
https://www.bworldonline.com/construction-of-lrt-1-cavite-extension-gets-under-way-partial-operations-by-2021/
Duterte signs energy conservation law
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure institutionalizing energy efficiency and conservation in the Philippines.
Republic Act (RA) 11285 or the “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act” was signed by the President on April 12, but was released to the media only on Tuesday, May 7.
Under the law, a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan (NEECP) will be formulated to serve as the framework for programs on energy efficiency and conservation.
The framework will introduce fundamental policies on energy efficiency and conservation, including the promotion of efficient and judicious utilization of energy, increase in the utilization of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and the delineation of responsibilities among various government agencies and private entities.
The law also mandates the development and maintenance of a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Database (NEECD), a centralized, comprehensive and unified database on the application and use of energy-efficient and renewable technologies, and other relevant information about energy consumption.
The Energy Efficiency and Conversation Act delegates the Department of Energy (DoE) as the lead agency responsible for the planning, formulation, development, implementation, enforcement and monitoring of energy management policies and other related energy-efficiency conservation plans and programs.
The DoE is also tasked to develop a system of monitoring the implementation of the NEECP, and to maintain the NEECD.
RA 11285 also instructs the Energy department to initiate and maintain collaborative efforts with the business sector, particularly the commercial, industrial, transport and power sectors, to ensure compliance with the law, and broaden and enhance their efficient and judicious utilization of energy.
The law also seeks national awareness and advocacy campaign on energy-efficiency and conservation that will also be done by the DoE, in partnership with business, academe, nongovernment organizations and other sectors.
The DoE is directed to provide annual reports to the Senate and the House of Representatives, with regard to the status of the implementation of the law at the national and local levels, cost effectiveness outcomes and energy and environmental impacts, among others.
The law orders all government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations to ensure the efficient use of energy in their respective offices, facilities and transportation units, and in the discharge of their functions.
RA 11285 also creates an Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee that is tasked to provide strategic direction in the implementation of the government energy management program, a program that will reduce monthly consumption of electricity and petroleum products by the government.
The European Union Access to the Sustainable Energy Program has estimated that a 10-percent improvement in efficiency would save the Philippines P55.5 billion, which translates to a P140 monthly or P1,680 annual savings in the monthly electricity bill of the average household.
The World Bank has also reported that government energy efficiency projects could help the government save P3.4 billion per year.
RA 11285 will take effect after 15 days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-signs-energy-conservation-law/550987/
Republic Act (RA) 11285 or the “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act” was signed by the President on April 12, but was released to the media only on Tuesday, May 7.
Under the law, a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan (NEECP) will be formulated to serve as the framework for programs on energy efficiency and conservation.
The framework will introduce fundamental policies on energy efficiency and conservation, including the promotion of efficient and judicious utilization of energy, increase in the utilization of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and the delineation of responsibilities among various government agencies and private entities.
The law also mandates the development and maintenance of a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Database (NEECD), a centralized, comprehensive and unified database on the application and use of energy-efficient and renewable technologies, and other relevant information about energy consumption.
The Energy Efficiency and Conversation Act delegates the Department of Energy (DoE) as the lead agency responsible for the planning, formulation, development, implementation, enforcement and monitoring of energy management policies and other related energy-efficiency conservation plans and programs.
The DoE is also tasked to develop a system of monitoring the implementation of the NEECP, and to maintain the NEECD.
RA 11285 also instructs the Energy department to initiate and maintain collaborative efforts with the business sector, particularly the commercial, industrial, transport and power sectors, to ensure compliance with the law, and broaden and enhance their efficient and judicious utilization of energy.
The law also seeks national awareness and advocacy campaign on energy-efficiency and conservation that will also be done by the DoE, in partnership with business, academe, nongovernment organizations and other sectors.
The DoE is directed to provide annual reports to the Senate and the House of Representatives, with regard to the status of the implementation of the law at the national and local levels, cost effectiveness outcomes and energy and environmental impacts, among others.
The law orders all government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations to ensure the efficient use of energy in their respective offices, facilities and transportation units, and in the discharge of their functions.
RA 11285 also creates an Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee that is tasked to provide strategic direction in the implementation of the government energy management program, a program that will reduce monthly consumption of electricity and petroleum products by the government.
The European Union Access to the Sustainable Energy Program has estimated that a 10-percent improvement in efficiency would save the Philippines P55.5 billion, which translates to a P140 monthly or P1,680 annual savings in the monthly electricity bill of the average household.
The World Bank has also reported that government energy efficiency projects could help the government save P3.4 billion per year.
RA 11285 will take effect after 15 days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-signs-energy-conservation-law/550987/
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