CLARK FREEPORT -- The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board on Friday, November 29, approved key infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) seen to improve road network connectivity of the country’s main three islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president Vince Dizon, who is also the presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects, said the projects include the land transport in Mindanao, such as the Davao Public Transport Bus Modernization Project and the Samal Island - Davao City Connector Project.
The Davao Public Transport Bus Modernization Project involves the delivery of a modern, high priority bus system (HPBS) for Davao City.
The Samal Island - Davao City Connector Project is expected to cut travel time from 26 to 30 minutes using Roro/ferry operations to just two to five minutes.
The Neda Board also approved the New Bohol (Panglao) International Airport and the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), both unsolicited proposals from the private sector; as well as major highways in Bicol Region, such as the Pasacao-Balatan Tourism Coastal Highway and the Camarines Sur Expressway.
The projects are part of the revised list of IFPs, which was also approved by the Neda Board Friday.
“The swift approval of the projects show how serious the government is in moving towards the realization of the Build Build Build program and allow our people - to use the words of the President - to ‘use use use’ them in order to live a more comfortable life,” Dizon said.
The 100 flagship projects out of the thousands of projects under the Build Build Build program have a total projected cost of P4.25 trillion. The list covers five categories, namely Transport and Mobility, Power, Water, Information and Communications Technology, and Urban Development and Renewal.
Dizon earlier committed that all 100 flagship projects will be started under the term of President Duterte.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1834331
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Duterte okays NAIA rehab project
By Chino S.Leyco
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has given the green light to the unsolicited proposal from a consortium of big private businesses to modernize the aging Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Department of Finance (DOF) announced yesterday.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the ₱102-billion NAIA rehabilitation project was approved during the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board meeting chaired by President Duterte yesterday.
The unsolicited proposal was submitted by Ayala Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Alliance Global Group, Inc., Asia Emerging Dragon, Filinvest Development, JG Summit and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. that sought the operation and upgrade of Metro Manila’s main air gateway.
Just last month, the Duterte administration included the NAIA rehabilitation plan in its upgraded list of flagship infrastructure projects along with the ₱735-billion New Manila International Airport by the San Miguel Corp.
Under the proposal, the so-called “super consortium” will transform NAIA into a regional airport hub and expand its capacity to meet the anticipated growth in passenger traffic.
But before the NAIA rehabilitation plan received President’s approval, the project suffered delays after the government returned the consortium’s proposed concession agreement.
The private proponent needed to adjust its draft concession agreement submitted to the Department of Transportation to conform with the government’s new standard for unsolicited projects.
President Duterte has standardized and patterned all draft agreements on unsolicited proposals to the operation and maintenance contract of Clark International Airport which covers provisions for MAGA or material adverse government action.
Under the MAGA clause, proponents will only be compensated for adverse government action from the executive branch and not for any change in future laws.
If MAGA occurs during the operation and maintenance period, the project proponent is entitled to compensation equal to the additional costs incurred and/or loss of revenue.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/11/29/duterte-okays-naia-rehab-project/
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has given the green light to the unsolicited proposal from a consortium of big private businesses to modernize the aging Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Department of Finance (DOF) announced yesterday.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the ₱102-billion NAIA rehabilitation project was approved during the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board meeting chaired by President Duterte yesterday.
The unsolicited proposal was submitted by Ayala Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Alliance Global Group, Inc., Asia Emerging Dragon, Filinvest Development, JG Summit and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. that sought the operation and upgrade of Metro Manila’s main air gateway.
Just last month, the Duterte administration included the NAIA rehabilitation plan in its upgraded list of flagship infrastructure projects along with the ₱735-billion New Manila International Airport by the San Miguel Corp.
Under the proposal, the so-called “super consortium” will transform NAIA into a regional airport hub and expand its capacity to meet the anticipated growth in passenger traffic.
But before the NAIA rehabilitation plan received President’s approval, the project suffered delays after the government returned the consortium’s proposed concession agreement.
The private proponent needed to adjust its draft concession agreement submitted to the Department of Transportation to conform with the government’s new standard for unsolicited projects.
President Duterte has standardized and patterned all draft agreements on unsolicited proposals to the operation and maintenance contract of Clark International Airport which covers provisions for MAGA or material adverse government action.
Under the MAGA clause, proponents will only be compensated for adverse government action from the executive branch and not for any change in future laws.
If MAGA occurs during the operation and maintenance period, the project proponent is entitled to compensation equal to the additional costs incurred and/or loss of revenue.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/11/29/duterte-okays-naia-rehab-project/
DOTr cites court rulings to speed up MRT-7
By Emmie V. Abadilla
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) lauded the courts’ upholding the state’s right to expropriate property for the 20-hectare proposed depot site of the ₱63-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) in Lagro, Quezon City.
To date, MRT7 is halfway complete, 17 years after project proponents submitted their unsolicited proposal to the government. For the last couple of years, the railway project has been mired in Right of Way (ROW) issues.
Now, the DOTr and project concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7), has formally began construction work for the MRT-7 depot in Quezon City after two Regional Trial Courts ruled in their favor.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade the other day thanked the judiciary for recognizing the importance of the MRT-7 project, emphasizing it is “vital to uphold the right of the government to expropriate in accelerating the completion of much-needed transportation infrastructure projects.”
“The actions of the lower courts are indeed a welcome development and an important milestone in the pursuit of the objective of the Duterte administration to give the Filipinos the comfortable life they deserve,” he underscored after the two Quezon City Regional Trial Courts granted writs of possession in favor of DOTr and SMRT7 for expropriating the MRT-7 depot site along the Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City.
Last June 29, he approved the new Lagro depot site to replace the original 33-hectare depot site in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan after the property owner questioned its expropriation at the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11. The latter ruled for a higher valuation, jacking up the private proponent’s required deposit for MRT7 900 percent, from ₱67.105 million to ₱598.905 million.
The DOTr elevated the case to the Court of Appeals but it was “taking forever to resolve the issue.”
Next, the DOTr offered to buy the replacement depot site in Lagro, owned by “a major real estate development company” at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser” because it was “optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
The property owners refused to sell. Hence, the DOTr and SMRT7 filed expropriation cases through the Office of the Solicitor General last Nov. 15.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 issued the writ of expropriation on November 22 and RTC Branch 98, three days after. The sheriffs of the two courts enforced the writs and work on the Lagro depot “formally started” November 26, 2019.
The depot, where trains are parked or repaired, is an integral part of any railway and the project can now proceed without major stumbling blocks, according to the DOTr.
The MRT-7 project will run 23 kilometers, from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, with a travel time of 34 minutes from one end to the other, servicing 300,000 to 850,000 passengers daily.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/11/29/dotr-cites-court-rulings-to-speed-up-mrt-7/
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) lauded the courts’ upholding the state’s right to expropriate property for the 20-hectare proposed depot site of the ₱63-billion Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) in Lagro, Quezon City.
To date, MRT7 is halfway complete, 17 years after project proponents submitted their unsolicited proposal to the government. For the last couple of years, the railway project has been mired in Right of Way (ROW) issues.
Now, the DOTr and project concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7), has formally began construction work for the MRT-7 depot in Quezon City after two Regional Trial Courts ruled in their favor.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade the other day thanked the judiciary for recognizing the importance of the MRT-7 project, emphasizing it is “vital to uphold the right of the government to expropriate in accelerating the completion of much-needed transportation infrastructure projects.”
“The actions of the lower courts are indeed a welcome development and an important milestone in the pursuit of the objective of the Duterte administration to give the Filipinos the comfortable life they deserve,” he underscored after the two Quezon City Regional Trial Courts granted writs of possession in favor of DOTr and SMRT7 for expropriating the MRT-7 depot site along the Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City.
Last June 29, he approved the new Lagro depot site to replace the original 33-hectare depot site in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan after the property owner questioned its expropriation at the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11. The latter ruled for a higher valuation, jacking up the private proponent’s required deposit for MRT7 900 percent, from ₱67.105 million to ₱598.905 million.
The DOTr elevated the case to the Court of Appeals but it was “taking forever to resolve the issue.”
Next, the DOTr offered to buy the replacement depot site in Lagro, owned by “a major real estate development company” at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser” because it was “optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
The property owners refused to sell. Hence, the DOTr and SMRT7 filed expropriation cases through the Office of the Solicitor General last Nov. 15.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 issued the writ of expropriation on November 22 and RTC Branch 98, three days after. The sheriffs of the two courts enforced the writs and work on the Lagro depot “formally started” November 26, 2019.
The depot, where trains are parked or repaired, is an integral part of any railway and the project can now proceed without major stumbling blocks, according to the DOTr.
The MRT-7 project will run 23 kilometers, from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, with a travel time of 34 minutes from one end to the other, servicing 300,000 to 850,000 passengers daily.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/11/29/dotr-cites-court-rulings-to-speed-up-mrt-7/
Friday, November 29, 2019
NAIA Consortium proposal gets go signal from NEDA Board
The proposal of top Philippine conglomerates to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport gets the green light from the powerful NEDA Board
After several revisions, the proposal of the country's top conglomerates to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was finally approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board on Friday, November 29.
The P102-billion build-operate-transfer proposal by the NAIA Consortium aims to address NAIA's constraints by "reconfiguring and renovating existing facilities and enhancing operation and maintenance of the airport."
The concession agreement would last for 15 years, from the initial 35-year proposal.
Once completed, the airport will be able to handle much more than the 31 million it was designed to accommodate.
The 7 partners in the "super consortium" are Aboitiz InfraCapital Incorporated, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Alliance Global Group Incorporated, Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation, Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings Incorporated, and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
The proposal will now undergo a Swiss challenge, where the government invites private groups to make competing offers, while giving the original proponent the right to match them.
Meanwhile, the NEDA Board also approved the unsolicited proposal for the Bohol-Panglao International Airport by Aboitiz InfraCapital.
The proposal covers the operations and maintenance of the airport, including the initial enhancement and installation of internal fit-outs of existing facilities.
https://www.rappler.com/business/246067-naia-consortium-proposal-approved-neda-board
After several revisions, the proposal of the country's top conglomerates to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was finally approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board on Friday, November 29.
The P102-billion build-operate-transfer proposal by the NAIA Consortium aims to address NAIA's constraints by "reconfiguring and renovating existing facilities and enhancing operation and maintenance of the airport."
The concession agreement would last for 15 years, from the initial 35-year proposal.
Once completed, the airport will be able to handle much more than the 31 million it was designed to accommodate.
The 7 partners in the "super consortium" are Aboitiz InfraCapital Incorporated, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Alliance Global Group Incorporated, Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation, Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings Incorporated, and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
The proposal will now undergo a Swiss challenge, where the government invites private groups to make competing offers, while giving the original proponent the right to match them.
Meanwhile, the NEDA Board also approved the unsolicited proposal for the Bohol-Panglao International Airport by Aboitiz InfraCapital.
The proposal covers the operations and maintenance of the airport, including the initial enhancement and installation of internal fit-outs of existing facilities.
https://www.rappler.com/business/246067-naia-consortium-proposal-approved-neda-board
NEDA Board approves tycoons’ NAIA rehab proposal
By Beatrice M. Laforga
THE National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board on Friday approved an unsolicited proposal from the country’s top tycoons to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as well as five other infrastructure projects and the revised list of infrastructure flagship projects.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said on Friday that the P102-billion proposal to rehabilitate the NAIA has secured its final approval from the NEDA Board, which President Rodrigo R. Duterte chairs.
With the approval, the NAIA rehabilitation will be subjected to a Swiss challenge.
Under the Swiss challenge, companies are invited to submit counterproposals to the project, which the original proponent may then match.
A “super consortium” composed of seven conglomerates, had offered to rehabilitate and expand NAIA over 15-year period at a project cost of P102 billion. The conglomerates involved are Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp.; Alliance Global Group, Inc.; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp.; Filinvest Development Corp.; JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., had the NAIA rehabilitation is expected to increase its capacity to handle passengers to 47 million a year in the first two years and further expand this to 65 million after four years.
The international airport has been operating beyond its 30.5-million passenger capacity with 45.3 million passengers last year, 42 million in 2017 and 39.5 million in 2016.
FLAGSHIP PROJECTS
In a phone message on Friday, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer Vivencio B. Dizon said that the NEDA Board approval of the revised list of infrastructure flagship projects showed how serious the government is in implementing the Build, Build, Build program.
Among the approved projects that are included in the list, Mr. Dizon said, are the proposals for NAIA rehabilitation, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project and the Davao public transport modernization project.
“All these are in the list of 100 flagship projects so this shows how serious the government is in swiftly moving towards the realization of the Build, Build, Build program and allow our people — to use the words of the President — to use use use them in order to live a more comfortable life,” said Mr. Dizon, who is also the presidential adviser for flagship infrastructure projects.
Midway through the administration’s term, the government reviewed and decided to revise its list of infrastructure flagship program to 100 from the previous 75 projects, scrapping those deemed no longer feasible while including “small but game-changing ones”.
OTHER PROJECTS
In a statement released Friday, the NEDA Board has approved a total of seven new projects on Friday with an estimated total project cost of P187.34 billion.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia was quoted in the statement, saying that five out of seven projects will be implemented outside the National Capital Region.
“This shows that the administration is committed to develop growth centers in the regions and maximize the economic benefits of connectivity of communities,” Mr. Pernia said.
Among the projects that secured NEDA Board’s nod are the unsolicited proposal for the new Bohol-Panglao International Airport and the P18.66-billion Davao public transport modernization project of the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
The Davao public transport modernization project will be financed through official development assistance (ODA) loans and is targetted for construction next year through 2023. The project “involves the delivery of a modern, high priority bus system (HPBS) for Davao City,” the statement read.
Three projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were also approved, namely the P14.97 billion Pasacao-Balatan Coastal Tourism Highway, the P23.04-billion SIDC project and the P9.23 billion Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway.
The Pasacao-Balatan Coastal Tourism Highway is earmarked for implementation next year until 2023 and is expected to be opened by 2024.
The project plans to construct a “four-lane coastal tourism highway along the west coast of Camarines Sur, with a total length of 40.69 kilometers,” as well as the construction of 13 bridges.
The SIDC project aims to construct a permanent road linking Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal by 2025.
“The Project involves the construction of a toll-free four-lane [two-lane each direction] bridge with an approximate length of 2.80 kilometers, a width of 24.2 meters, and a vertical clearance of 45 meters that can serve around 25,000 vehicles a day,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway, a 15.21-kilometer four-lane highway, will provide an alternative route from Legazpi to Caramoan to Manila, and vice versa.
Lastly, Department of Health’s P15.53 billion Development Objective Assistance agreement for improved health for undeserved Filipinos was also approved and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2024.
“The program will respond to the issues on logistics and pharmaceutical management, shortages of qualified health professionals in underserved areas, and inadequate public sector capacity in policy development, financing and private sector engagement. The following are the planned activities under the program: tuberculosis; family planning; and health systems strengthening,” NEDA said.
Also during the same meeting, the NEDA Board said that Investment Coordination Committe-Cabinet Committee approved to increase the cost and change the scope of Mindanao Railway Project: Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment to PhP81.69 billion.
“The NEDA Board also noted the earlier confirmation ad referendum of 20 projects from August 22 to October 9 this year. These include projects from DPWH (9), DoTr (3), Department of Finance (3), Philippine Competition Commission (1), Department of Agriculture (1), Landbank of the Philippines (1), National Irrigation Administration (1), and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (1),” the statement read further.
https://www.bworldonline.com/neda-board-approves-tycoons-naia-rehab-proposal/
THE National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board on Friday approved an unsolicited proposal from the country’s top tycoons to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as well as five other infrastructure projects and the revised list of infrastructure flagship projects.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said on Friday that the P102-billion proposal to rehabilitate the NAIA has secured its final approval from the NEDA Board, which President Rodrigo R. Duterte chairs.
With the approval, the NAIA rehabilitation will be subjected to a Swiss challenge.
Under the Swiss challenge, companies are invited to submit counterproposals to the project, which the original proponent may then match.
A “super consortium” composed of seven conglomerates, had offered to rehabilitate and expand NAIA over 15-year period at a project cost of P102 billion. The conglomerates involved are Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp.; Alliance Global Group, Inc.; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp.; Filinvest Development Corp.; JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., had the NAIA rehabilitation is expected to increase its capacity to handle passengers to 47 million a year in the first two years and further expand this to 65 million after four years.
The international airport has been operating beyond its 30.5-million passenger capacity with 45.3 million passengers last year, 42 million in 2017 and 39.5 million in 2016.
FLAGSHIP PROJECTS
In a phone message on Friday, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer Vivencio B. Dizon said that the NEDA Board approval of the revised list of infrastructure flagship projects showed how serious the government is in implementing the Build, Build, Build program.
Among the approved projects that are included in the list, Mr. Dizon said, are the proposals for NAIA rehabilitation, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project and the Davao public transport modernization project.
“All these are in the list of 100 flagship projects so this shows how serious the government is in swiftly moving towards the realization of the Build, Build, Build program and allow our people — to use the words of the President — to use use use them in order to live a more comfortable life,” said Mr. Dizon, who is also the presidential adviser for flagship infrastructure projects.
Midway through the administration’s term, the government reviewed and decided to revise its list of infrastructure flagship program to 100 from the previous 75 projects, scrapping those deemed no longer feasible while including “small but game-changing ones”.
OTHER PROJECTS
In a statement released Friday, the NEDA Board has approved a total of seven new projects on Friday with an estimated total project cost of P187.34 billion.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia was quoted in the statement, saying that five out of seven projects will be implemented outside the National Capital Region.
“This shows that the administration is committed to develop growth centers in the regions and maximize the economic benefits of connectivity of communities,” Mr. Pernia said.
Among the projects that secured NEDA Board’s nod are the unsolicited proposal for the new Bohol-Panglao International Airport and the P18.66-billion Davao public transport modernization project of the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
The Davao public transport modernization project will be financed through official development assistance (ODA) loans and is targetted for construction next year through 2023. The project “involves the delivery of a modern, high priority bus system (HPBS) for Davao City,” the statement read.
Three projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were also approved, namely the P14.97 billion Pasacao-Balatan Coastal Tourism Highway, the P23.04-billion SIDC project and the P9.23 billion Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway.
The Pasacao-Balatan Coastal Tourism Highway is earmarked for implementation next year until 2023 and is expected to be opened by 2024.
The project plans to construct a “four-lane coastal tourism highway along the west coast of Camarines Sur, with a total length of 40.69 kilometers,” as well as the construction of 13 bridges.
The SIDC project aims to construct a permanent road linking Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal by 2025.
“The Project involves the construction of a toll-free four-lane [two-lane each direction] bridge with an approximate length of 2.80 kilometers, a width of 24.2 meters, and a vertical clearance of 45 meters that can serve around 25,000 vehicles a day,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway, a 15.21-kilometer four-lane highway, will provide an alternative route from Legazpi to Caramoan to Manila, and vice versa.
Lastly, Department of Health’s P15.53 billion Development Objective Assistance agreement for improved health for undeserved Filipinos was also approved and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2024.
“The program will respond to the issues on logistics and pharmaceutical management, shortages of qualified health professionals in underserved areas, and inadequate public sector capacity in policy development, financing and private sector engagement. The following are the planned activities under the program: tuberculosis; family planning; and health systems strengthening,” NEDA said.
Also during the same meeting, the NEDA Board said that Investment Coordination Committe-Cabinet Committee approved to increase the cost and change the scope of Mindanao Railway Project: Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment to PhP81.69 billion.
“The NEDA Board also noted the earlier confirmation ad referendum of 20 projects from August 22 to October 9 this year. These include projects from DPWH (9), DoTr (3), Department of Finance (3), Philippine Competition Commission (1), Department of Agriculture (1), Landbank of the Philippines (1), National Irrigation Administration (1), and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (1),” the statement read further.
https://www.bworldonline.com/neda-board-approves-tycoons-naia-rehab-proposal/
NEDA Board approves P187.34B worth of projects
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved on Friday seven new projects worth P187.34 billion.
According to NEDA, three of the projects came from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), three are from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and one project is to be implemented by the Department of Health (DOH).
"Five out of seven of these new projects will be implemented outside the National Capital Region," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.
This shows that the administration is committed to develop growth centers in the regions and maximize the economic benefits of connectivity of communities," he added.
DOTr's first project is the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project which involves the delivery of a modern high priority bus system for Davao City. The second project is the maintenance and enhancement of the New Bohol International Airport.
Meanwhile, the third project of the DOTr is about the reconfiguration and renovation of existing facilities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as well as enhancing its operations and maintenance.
The first project of the DPWH is the Pasacao-Balatan Coastal Tourism Highway, which will provide access to various tourism sites and a direct link between Pasacao and Balatan in Camarines Sur.
DPWH's second project is the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project which aims to reduce travel time and reliability constraints experienced during the use of ferry services.
The third project of DPWH, the Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway, will meanwhile serve as an alternate route from Legazpi or Caramoan to Manila, and vice versa.
Meanwhile, DOH's project is the Development Objective Assistance Agreement (DOAg): Improved Health for Underserved Filipinos.
According to the statement, it "will respond to the issues on logistics and pharmaceutical management, shortages of qualified health professionals in underserved areas, and inadequate public sector capacity in policy development, financing and private sector engagement." —LDF, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/717283/neda-board-approves-p187-34b-worth-of-projects/story/
According to NEDA, three of the projects came from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), three are from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and one project is to be implemented by the Department of Health (DOH).
"Five out of seven of these new projects will be implemented outside the National Capital Region," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.
This shows that the administration is committed to develop growth centers in the regions and maximize the economic benefits of connectivity of communities," he added.
DOTr's first project is the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project which involves the delivery of a modern high priority bus system for Davao City. The second project is the maintenance and enhancement of the New Bohol International Airport.
Meanwhile, the third project of the DOTr is about the reconfiguration and renovation of existing facilities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as well as enhancing its operations and maintenance.
The first project of the DPWH is the Pasacao-Balatan Coastal Tourism Highway, which will provide access to various tourism sites and a direct link between Pasacao and Balatan in Camarines Sur.
DPWH's second project is the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project which aims to reduce travel time and reliability constraints experienced during the use of ferry services.
The third project of DPWH, the Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway, will meanwhile serve as an alternate route from Legazpi or Caramoan to Manila, and vice versa.
Meanwhile, DOH's project is the Development Objective Assistance Agreement (DOAg): Improved Health for Underserved Filipinos.
According to the statement, it "will respond to the issues on logistics and pharmaceutical management, shortages of qualified health professionals in underserved areas, and inadequate public sector capacity in policy development, financing and private sector engagement." —LDF, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/717283/neda-board-approves-p187-34b-worth-of-projects/story/
Thursday, November 28, 2019
MRT 7 on track for partial opening in 2021
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) took control of a property in Quezon City to be used for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 train depot—removing a key obstacle as they aim for partial operations by 2021.
The DOTr said on Wednesday that work on the 20-hectare depot, where unused trains were parked or were being repaired, started on Nov. 26 after they obtained favorable writs of possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 92 and 98.
The development, which also made use of Republic Act No. 10752, or the Right of Way Act, ensures continued progress for the MRT 7, a 23-kilometer line that will link San Jose del Monte in Bulacan and North Avenue in Quezon City.
Once finished by 2022, MRT 7 will cut travel time from Manila to Bulacan from two hours to 34 minutes.
MRT 7 will also connect to the DOTr’s massive Quezon City common station project, a transport gateway that will also house stations for the MRT 3, Light Rail Transit Line 1 and eventually the Metro Manila subway, when it opens in 2021.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement on Wednesday.
The P63-billion MRT 7 is expected to serve 300,000 to 850,000 passengers a day. The DOTr said it was close to 50-percent finished as of October this year.
Earlier, the DOTr and SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 (SMRT7) identified the new depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City. This was chosen for its location, cost and operational reliability.
The depot site was approved by Tugade on June 29 and the DOTr offered to buy the property from lot owners at the current market value, which was appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser.
The main landowner was Century Communities Corp., part of the Antonio family’s Century Properties Group Inc.
According to documents provided to the Inquirer, the site was formerly owned by Century Communities Corp., a real estate developer, which was offered a compensation offer of P394 million based on the appraised value of P3,600 per square meter.
The department said delays cropped up after the property owners refused its offer.
The DOTr and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), filed an expropriation case on Nov. 15.
The writs of possession were issued in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land. It commands the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The courts’ rulings ended the DOTr’s two-year struggle to acquire a depot site for MRT 7. The department and SMRT7 earlier attempted to secure a 33-ha lot in San Jose del Monte for the depot, but failed after a Malolos RTC effectively raised the zonal valuation there by nearly 900 percent. SMC held the MRT 7 groundbreaking ceremony in April 2016. –With a report from Krixia Subingsubing
https://business.inquirer.net/284242/mrt-7-on-track-for-partial-opening-in-2021
The DOTr said on Wednesday that work on the 20-hectare depot, where unused trains were parked or were being repaired, started on Nov. 26 after they obtained favorable writs of possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 92 and 98.
The development, which also made use of Republic Act No. 10752, or the Right of Way Act, ensures continued progress for the MRT 7, a 23-kilometer line that will link San Jose del Monte in Bulacan and North Avenue in Quezon City.
Once finished by 2022, MRT 7 will cut travel time from Manila to Bulacan from two hours to 34 minutes.
MRT 7 will also connect to the DOTr’s massive Quezon City common station project, a transport gateway that will also house stations for the MRT 3, Light Rail Transit Line 1 and eventually the Metro Manila subway, when it opens in 2021.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement on Wednesday.
The P63-billion MRT 7 is expected to serve 300,000 to 850,000 passengers a day. The DOTr said it was close to 50-percent finished as of October this year.
Earlier, the DOTr and SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 (SMRT7) identified the new depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City. This was chosen for its location, cost and operational reliability.
The depot site was approved by Tugade on June 29 and the DOTr offered to buy the property from lot owners at the current market value, which was appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser.
The main landowner was Century Communities Corp., part of the Antonio family’s Century Properties Group Inc.
According to documents provided to the Inquirer, the site was formerly owned by Century Communities Corp., a real estate developer, which was offered a compensation offer of P394 million based on the appraised value of P3,600 per square meter.
The department said delays cropped up after the property owners refused its offer.
The DOTr and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), filed an expropriation case on Nov. 15.
The writs of possession were issued in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land. It commands the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The courts’ rulings ended the DOTr’s two-year struggle to acquire a depot site for MRT 7. The department and SMRT7 earlier attempted to secure a 33-ha lot in San Jose del Monte for the depot, but failed after a Malolos RTC effectively raised the zonal valuation there by nearly 900 percent. SMC held the MRT 7 groundbreaking ceremony in April 2016. –With a report from Krixia Subingsubing
https://business.inquirer.net/284242/mrt-7-on-track-for-partial-opening-in-2021
Courts clear the way for MRT 7 depot
Two Quezon City regional trial courts have issued the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. (SMRT7), writs of possession to allow them to formally begin construction work for the MRT 7 depot in Quezon City.
Apart from the issuance of the writs, the department said it has formally begun construction in the 20-hectare depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro on Tuesday.
According to documents provided to the Inquirer, the site was previously owned by real estate developer Century Communities Corp., which offered to sell the property at P394 million based on the appraised value of P3,600 per square meter.
The writs of possession, issued by Branch 92 and 98 in Nov. 22 and 25, respectively, stemmed from the expropriation cases filed by the department and SMRT7 via the Office of the Solicitor General.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution commanding the court sheriff to enter the land and hand over its possession to the party—in this case, the government—entitled under the judgment.
The court rulings also end the DOTr’s two-year struggle to acquire a depot site for the much-delayed MRT 7, which would connect Bulacan to Quezon City in under 34 minutes.
The department and SMC-MRT7 earlier attempted to secure a 33-ha lot in San Jose del Monte for the depot, but failed after a Malolos court effectively raised the zonal valuation there by nearly 900 percent.
In a statement, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said construction work for the much-delayed depot “signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project… It shows us that when the judiciary works hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development.”
The 23-km MRT 7 railway is currently 49 percent complete and is scheduled to begin partial operations in 2021. Once operational, it is expected to ferry between 300,000 to 850,000 passengers per day.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195383/courts-clear-the-way-for-mrt-7-depot
Apart from the issuance of the writs, the department said it has formally begun construction in the 20-hectare depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro on Tuesday.
According to documents provided to the Inquirer, the site was previously owned by real estate developer Century Communities Corp., which offered to sell the property at P394 million based on the appraised value of P3,600 per square meter.
The writs of possession, issued by Branch 92 and 98 in Nov. 22 and 25, respectively, stemmed from the expropriation cases filed by the department and SMRT7 via the Office of the Solicitor General.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution commanding the court sheriff to enter the land and hand over its possession to the party—in this case, the government—entitled under the judgment.
The court rulings also end the DOTr’s two-year struggle to acquire a depot site for the much-delayed MRT 7, which would connect Bulacan to Quezon City in under 34 minutes.
The department and SMC-MRT7 earlier attempted to secure a 33-ha lot in San Jose del Monte for the depot, but failed after a Malolos court effectively raised the zonal valuation there by nearly 900 percent.
In a statement, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said construction work for the much-delayed depot “signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project… It shows us that when the judiciary works hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development.”
The 23-km MRT 7 railway is currently 49 percent complete and is scheduled to begin partial operations in 2021. Once operational, it is expected to ferry between 300,000 to 850,000 passengers per day.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195383/courts-clear-the-way-for-mrt-7-depot
MRT-7 clears key hurdle
THE METRO RAIL TRANSIT (MRT) Line 7 — a flagship project of the government — has overcome a major right-of-way obstacle that had forced its proponent, San Miguel Corp.’s railway unit, to defer completion date by two years to 2022, when President Rodrigo R. Duterte ends his six-year term.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said two Quezon City courts issued orders for the government to take possession of a site eyed for the project’s planned depot in along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, “which was found optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
DoTr said it had offered to buy the targeted Quezon City depot site from owners led by “a major real estate development company at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser”.
The property owners refused DoTr’s offer, forcing the department and San Miguel unit SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7) — which is undertaking the project — through the Office of the Solicitor General to file expropriation cases just last Nov. 15.
DoTR said Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade approved the new depot site last June 29.
It replaces the original depot site in San Jose del Monte city, Bulacan which remains subject to a legal case after the property owner questioned the expropriation at the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11. The government had challenged at the Court of Appeals a higher valuation for acquisition of the site from its owner that was mandated by Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11 in February last year, compared to what it argued is allowed by law. SMRT7, which is undertaking the project, said that valuation discrepancy would increase its required deposit for the project nearly ninefold to P598.905 million from P67.105 million.
The case in Bulacan has prompted San Miguel to move the project’s completion date to 2022 from 2020 originally, with the “first portion” — the stretch between the North EDSA common station for MRT-7, Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1, MRT-3 and the planned Metro Manila Subway and a station in Fairview — scheduled to open in 2021.
Transport Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Oliveros-Libiran said the Quezon City site for the planned 20-hectare depot replaces the one in Bulacan.
“Wala na ‘yung sa Bulacan. Na-stall ‘yun. May pending case ‘yun nasa Court of Appeals. Hindi kami puwedeng magsalita on the case (Forget the site in Bulacan. That plan is stalled. There is a pending case at the Court of Appeals. We cannot talk about that case),” Ms. Libiran said in a telephone interview on Thursday.
Asked if the department still wants the site in Bulacan, Ms. Libiran replied: “Hindi na. Wala, kapag aantayin mo ‘yun it will take you forever. (No we will no longer pursue it. If you want for that case to be resolved, it will take you forever.)”
She acknowledged other pending right-of-way issues, but described them as “only minor” ones. “Ang alam ko meron pa, pero mga minor na lang mga ‘yun. Ang pinakamalaki kasi ang depot. (As far as I know, there are other right-of-way issues, but they are only minor ones. The biggest problem was the depot).”
DoTR said in its statement on Wednesday that “[w]ork on the depot formally started yesterday, 26 November 2019… after writs of possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of the Department of Transportation and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc., were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts”, adding that the Quezon City courts issued the writs on Nov. 22 and 25 after “nearly two years” of court hearings on the matter.
San Miguel shares gained 0.63% to P160 apiece at closing on Wednesday, riding a general rise at the Philippine Stock Exchange. It was trading down 0.13% at P159.10 apiece as of 11:36 a.m. Thursday.
In a mobile phone message on Wednesday, Ms. Libiran said that the courts’ decision removes the “major stumbling block” to the project.
“This development will allow us to finally start works at the depot. The depot is an integral part of any rail station, so now that the location has finally been settled, we are confident that the project construction will now push through without major stumbling blocks,” Ms. Oliveros-Libiran said in her earlier reply.
DoTR’s statement quoted Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade as saying: “The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people.”
The P62.7-billion MRT-7 project — which will run between North Avenue in Quezon City and San Jose del Monte city, Bulacan — has three components, namely: a 23-kilometer rail transit system with 13 stations; a six-lane highway between North Luzon Expressway and a planned Intermodal Transportation Terminal (ITT); and the ITT itself that can accommodate 200 buses at a time. Travel from one end to the other is estimated to take 34 minutes.
The Public-Private Partnership Center said on its Web site that the road component of the project will “divert northern provincial bus operations to San Jose Del Monte, thereby decongesting EDSA.”
Once operational, the MRT-7 is expected to accommodate an estimated 300,000-850,000 passengers a day, the DoTr said on Wednesday. The project was 49.15% complete as of October, DoTr said on Wednesday. — A. L. Balinbin
https://www.bworldonline.com/mrt-7-clears-key-hurdle/
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said two Quezon City courts issued orders for the government to take possession of a site eyed for the project’s planned depot in along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, “which was found optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
DoTr said it had offered to buy the targeted Quezon City depot site from owners led by “a major real estate development company at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser”.
The property owners refused DoTr’s offer, forcing the department and San Miguel unit SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7) — which is undertaking the project — through the Office of the Solicitor General to file expropriation cases just last Nov. 15.
DoTR said Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade approved the new depot site last June 29.
It replaces the original depot site in San Jose del Monte city, Bulacan which remains subject to a legal case after the property owner questioned the expropriation at the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11. The government had challenged at the Court of Appeals a higher valuation for acquisition of the site from its owner that was mandated by Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11 in February last year, compared to what it argued is allowed by law. SMRT7, which is undertaking the project, said that valuation discrepancy would increase its required deposit for the project nearly ninefold to P598.905 million from P67.105 million.
The case in Bulacan has prompted San Miguel to move the project’s completion date to 2022 from 2020 originally, with the “first portion” — the stretch between the North EDSA common station for MRT-7, Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1, MRT-3 and the planned Metro Manila Subway and a station in Fairview — scheduled to open in 2021.
Transport Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Oliveros-Libiran said the Quezon City site for the planned 20-hectare depot replaces the one in Bulacan.
“Wala na ‘yung sa Bulacan. Na-stall ‘yun. May pending case ‘yun nasa Court of Appeals. Hindi kami puwedeng magsalita on the case (Forget the site in Bulacan. That plan is stalled. There is a pending case at the Court of Appeals. We cannot talk about that case),” Ms. Libiran said in a telephone interview on Thursday.
Asked if the department still wants the site in Bulacan, Ms. Libiran replied: “Hindi na. Wala, kapag aantayin mo ‘yun it will take you forever. (No we will no longer pursue it. If you want for that case to be resolved, it will take you forever.)”
She acknowledged other pending right-of-way issues, but described them as “only minor” ones. “Ang alam ko meron pa, pero mga minor na lang mga ‘yun. Ang pinakamalaki kasi ang depot. (As far as I know, there are other right-of-way issues, but they are only minor ones. The biggest problem was the depot).”
DoTR said in its statement on Wednesday that “[w]ork on the depot formally started yesterday, 26 November 2019… after writs of possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of the Department of Transportation and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc., were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts”, adding that the Quezon City courts issued the writs on Nov. 22 and 25 after “nearly two years” of court hearings on the matter.
San Miguel shares gained 0.63% to P160 apiece at closing on Wednesday, riding a general rise at the Philippine Stock Exchange. It was trading down 0.13% at P159.10 apiece as of 11:36 a.m. Thursday.
In a mobile phone message on Wednesday, Ms. Libiran said that the courts’ decision removes the “major stumbling block” to the project.
“This development will allow us to finally start works at the depot. The depot is an integral part of any rail station, so now that the location has finally been settled, we are confident that the project construction will now push through without major stumbling blocks,” Ms. Oliveros-Libiran said in her earlier reply.
DoTR’s statement quoted Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade as saying: “The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people.”
The P62.7-billion MRT-7 project — which will run between North Avenue in Quezon City and San Jose del Monte city, Bulacan — has three components, namely: a 23-kilometer rail transit system with 13 stations; a six-lane highway between North Luzon Expressway and a planned Intermodal Transportation Terminal (ITT); and the ITT itself that can accommodate 200 buses at a time. Travel from one end to the other is estimated to take 34 minutes.
The Public-Private Partnership Center said on its Web site that the road component of the project will “divert northern provincial bus operations to San Jose Del Monte, thereby decongesting EDSA.”
Once operational, the MRT-7 is expected to accommodate an estimated 300,000-850,000 passengers a day, the DoTr said on Wednesday. The project was 49.15% complete as of October, DoTr said on Wednesday. — A. L. Balinbin
https://www.bworldonline.com/mrt-7-clears-key-hurdle/
SMC, DOTr allowed to take over Quezon City property for MRT-7
Issues involving the acquisition of a property needed for the development of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) have been resolved in favor of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and conglomerate San Miguel Corp., increasing the project’s chances of commencing partial operations by 2021.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said works on the MRT-7’s 20-hectare depot formally started on Tuesday after nearly two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain the site.
The agency said writs of possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of the DOTr and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. (SMRT7) of San Miguel, were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts.
The writs of possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 were issued by the QC RTC Branches 92 and 98 on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25, respectively.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land, commanding the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The property owners previously refused the DOTr’s current market value offer, forcing the agency and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General, to file expropriation cases last Nov. 15.
Pursuant to Republic Act 10752 or the new Right-of-Way Act, the DOTr said it offered to buy the depot site from its owners at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
The DOTr said the depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, was found optimal for “right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
Tugade approved the depot site during his inspection last June.
The MRT-7 is a 23-kilometer railway with 13 stations that will connect San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with North Avenue in Quezon City in about 34 minutes.
Once operational, the line is expected to ferry between 300,000 and 850,000 passengers per day, with room for capacity expansion to accommodate future increases in ridership.
It will be connected to LRT-1, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue.
The DOTr said the MRT-7 project is 49 percent complete as of end-October and is scheduled to begin its partial operations running from the North EDSA common station to Fairview in 2021.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/11/28/1972337/smc-dotr-allowed-take-over-quezon-city-property-mrt-7
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said works on the MRT-7’s 20-hectare depot formally started on Tuesday after nearly two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain the site.
The agency said writs of possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of the DOTr and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. (SMRT7) of San Miguel, were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts.
The writs of possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 were issued by the QC RTC Branches 92 and 98 on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25, respectively.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land, commanding the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The property owners previously refused the DOTr’s current market value offer, forcing the agency and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General, to file expropriation cases last Nov. 15.
Pursuant to Republic Act 10752 or the new Right-of-Way Act, the DOTr said it offered to buy the depot site from its owners at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
The DOTr said the depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, was found optimal for “right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
Tugade approved the depot site during his inspection last June.
The MRT-7 is a 23-kilometer railway with 13 stations that will connect San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with North Avenue in Quezon City in about 34 minutes.
Once operational, the line is expected to ferry between 300,000 and 850,000 passengers per day, with room for capacity expansion to accommodate future increases in ridership.
It will be connected to LRT-1, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue.
The DOTr said the MRT-7 project is 49 percent complete as of end-October and is scheduled to begin its partial operations running from the North EDSA common station to Fairview in 2021.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/11/28/1972337/smc-dotr-allowed-take-over-quezon-city-property-mrt-7
MRT-7 expected to begin partial operations by ‘21
The Department of Transportation said Wednesday it expects Metro Rail Transit Line 7 to start partial operations by 2021.
The agency said in a statement the MRT Line 7 project, which runs 22 kilometers from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, was 49.15-percent into completion as of October 2019.
It said MRT-7’s 20-hectare depot started to take shape after the writs of possession issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of DOTr and concessionaire SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts. Works on the depot formally started on Nov. 26.
The DOTr and SMRT7 identified the new depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, which was found optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency and operational reliability and maintainability.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the depot site during an inspection on June 29, 2019.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary works hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Tugade said.
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10752 or the new Right-of-Way Act, the DOTr offered to buy the depot site from a major real estate development company at current market value, as appraised by an independent property appraiser accredited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The property owners refused the DOTr’s current market value offer, forcing the DOTr and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General, to file expropriation cases on Nov. 15. The QC RTC Branches 92 and 98 issued writs of possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25, respectively.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land. It commands the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The P69.3-billion MRT 7 project, which will have 14 stations, is being built by SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. under SMC’s infrastructure subsidiary San Miguel Holdings Inc.
San Miguel tapped Hyundai Rotem and EEI consortium to build the railway line which will have stations at North Ave., Quezon Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose del Monte.
Once completed by 2021, the 22-kilometer rail line will reduce travel time between Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City from two to three hours to only 35 minutes.
The agency said in a statement the MRT Line 7 project, which runs 22 kilometers from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, was 49.15-percent into completion as of October 2019.
It said MRT-7’s 20-hectare depot started to take shape after the writs of possession issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of DOTr and concessionaire SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts. Works on the depot formally started on Nov. 26.
The DOTr and SMRT7 identified the new depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, which was found optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency and operational reliability and maintainability.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the depot site during an inspection on June 29, 2019.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary works hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Tugade said.
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10752 or the new Right-of-Way Act, the DOTr offered to buy the depot site from a major real estate development company at current market value, as appraised by an independent property appraiser accredited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The property owners refused the DOTr’s current market value offer, forcing the DOTr and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General, to file expropriation cases on Nov. 15. The QC RTC Branches 92 and 98 issued writs of possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25, respectively.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land. It commands the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The P69.3-billion MRT 7 project, which will have 14 stations, is being built by SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. under SMC’s infrastructure subsidiary San Miguel Holdings Inc.
San Miguel tapped Hyundai Rotem and EEI consortium to build the railway line which will have stations at North Ave., Quezon Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose del Monte.
Once completed by 2021, the 22-kilometer rail line will reduce travel time between Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City from two to three hours to only 35 minutes.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
MRT-7 depot construction starts as courts grant DOTr, SMC right of way
The construction of the 20-hectare depot of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) has finally started, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Wednesday.
This development came after local courts have granted the DOTr and concessionaire San Miguel Corp. (SMRT7) possession of the land where the depot will be built.
The DOTr said works on the depot formally started on Tuesday, November 26.
“After 17 years since the submission of the unsolicited proposal for the project and after nearly two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain a site, the MRT-7’s 20-hectare depot is finally starting to take shape,” DOTr said in a statement.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 issued Writs of Possession in favor of the DOTr and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7), which were then successfully enforced by sheriffs of the courts.
A writ of possession is a document issued by the court after the landlord wins an eviction lawsuit. The writ of possession is served on the tenant by the sheriff.
Joining the two sheriffs in enforcing the Writs were a contingent of Philippine National Police (PNP) and SWAT personnel as well as Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan and Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation and Right-of-Way Acquisition Committee Chairman Giovanni Lopez.
The site of the new depot is located along Quirino Highway in Brgy. Lagro, Quezon City. The DOTr said it was “optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the depot site during his inspection on June 29, 2019.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Tugade said in the statement.
The DOTr said it initially offered to buy the depot site from its owners at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) accredited independent property appraiser.
However, the property owners, which are largely comprised of a major real estate development company, refused the agency’s offer, forcing the DOTr and SMRT7, with the help of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to file expropriation cases last Nov. 15.
Writs of Possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 were issued on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25.
MRT-7 is a 22.8-kilometer elevated train line, with 13 stations to run from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan province.
The P69.3-billion project, once operational, is expected to transport between 300,000 to 850,000 passengers per day. It will be inter-connected with the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue.
The train line is also expected to slash travel time from Bulacan to Quezon City from two to three hours to 35 minutes.
As of October 2019, the DOTr said the MRT-7 project is 49.15%. It is set to begin partial operations in 2021.
The project, which was started under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, was initially eyed to be finished this year.
However, its completion was delayed due to right-of-way issues, the DOTr earlier explained.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195091/mrt-7-depot-works-start-as-courts-grant-dotr-smrt7-writ-of-possession
This development came after local courts have granted the DOTr and concessionaire San Miguel Corp. (SMRT7) possession of the land where the depot will be built.
The DOTr said works on the depot formally started on Tuesday, November 26.
“After 17 years since the submission of the unsolicited proposal for the project and after nearly two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain a site, the MRT-7’s 20-hectare depot is finally starting to take shape,” DOTr said in a statement.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 issued Writs of Possession in favor of the DOTr and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7), which were then successfully enforced by sheriffs of the courts.
A writ of possession is a document issued by the court after the landlord wins an eviction lawsuit. The writ of possession is served on the tenant by the sheriff.
Joining the two sheriffs in enforcing the Writs were a contingent of Philippine National Police (PNP) and SWAT personnel as well as Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan and Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation and Right-of-Way Acquisition Committee Chairman Giovanni Lopez.
The site of the new depot is located along Quirino Highway in Brgy. Lagro, Quezon City. The DOTr said it was “optimal for right-of-way implementability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.”
Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the depot site during his inspection on June 29, 2019.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Tugade said in the statement.
The DOTr said it initially offered to buy the depot site from its owners at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) accredited independent property appraiser.
However, the property owners, which are largely comprised of a major real estate development company, refused the agency’s offer, forcing the DOTr and SMRT7, with the help of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to file expropriation cases last Nov. 15.
Writs of Possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 were issued on Nov. 22 and Nov. 25.
MRT-7 is a 22.8-kilometer elevated train line, with 13 stations to run from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan province.
The P69.3-billion project, once operational, is expected to transport between 300,000 to 850,000 passengers per day. It will be inter-connected with the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue.
The train line is also expected to slash travel time from Bulacan to Quezon City from two to three hours to 35 minutes.
As of October 2019, the DOTr said the MRT-7 project is 49.15%. It is set to begin partial operations in 2021.
The project, which was started under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, was initially eyed to be finished this year.
However, its completion was delayed due to right-of-way issues, the DOTr earlier explained.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195091/mrt-7-depot-works-start-as-courts-grant-dotr-smrt7-writ-of-possession
MRT7 depot works commence as QC court grants DOTr, SMC-MRT7 writ of possession
Works at the Metro Rail Transit Line 7’s (MRT7) depot in Quezon City has finally commenced after a court granted the project’s parties possession of the land where the depot will be built.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said “works on the depot formally started yesterday, 26 November 2019.”
“This after Writs of Possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7), were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts,” it said.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land. It commands the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The DOTr said the MRT7’s 20-hectare depot is “finally starting to take shape” after 17 years since the submission of the unsolicited proposal for the project and after nearly two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain a site.
Joining Branch 92 Sheriff Francisco Emmanuel T. San Andres and Branch 98 Sheriff Bienvenido S. Reyes, Jr. in enforcing the writs were a contingent of PNP and SWAT personnel led by Station 5 (Fairview) Commander Col. Jeffrey Bilaro, as well as DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan and Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation and Right-of-Way Acquisition Committee Chairman Giovanni Lopez.
The DOTr and SMRT7 identified the new depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, which was found optimal for right-of-way implement ability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the depot site during his inspection on June 29, 2019.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Tugade said.
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10752 or the new Right-of-Way Act, the DOTr offered to buy the depot site from its owners at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) accredited independent property appraiser.
However, the property owners refused the DOTr’s current market value offer, forcing the DOTr and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to file expropriation cases last November 15.
On November 22 and November 25, Writs of Possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 were issued by the QC RTC Branches 92 and 98.
MRT7 is a 23-km. railway with 13 stations that will connect San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with North Avenue in Quezon City in about 34 minutes.
Once operational, the line is expected to ferry between 300,000 to 850,000 passengers per day, with room for capacity expansion to accommodate future increases in ridership. It will be connected to LRT-1, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue.
As of October 2019, the MRT-7 project is 49.15% complete. It is scheduled to begin partial operations in 2021. —KBK, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/716925/mrt7-depot-works-commence-as-qc-court-grants-dotr-smmrt7-writ-of-possession/story/
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said “works on the depot formally started yesterday, 26 November 2019.”
“This after Writs of Possession issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 and 98 in favor of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its concessionaire, SMC Mass Rail Transit 7, Inc. (SMRT7), were successfully enforced by sheriffs of the two courts,” it said.
A writ of possession is a writ of execution employed to enforce a judgment to recover the possession of land. It commands the sheriff to enter the land and give its possession to the party entitled under the judgment.
The DOTr said the MRT7’s 20-hectare depot is “finally starting to take shape” after 17 years since the submission of the unsolicited proposal for the project and after nearly two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain a site.
Joining Branch 92 Sheriff Francisco Emmanuel T. San Andres and Branch 98 Sheriff Bienvenido S. Reyes, Jr. in enforcing the writs were a contingent of PNP and SWAT personnel led by Station 5 (Fairview) Commander Col. Jeffrey Bilaro, as well as DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan and Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation and Right-of-Way Acquisition Committee Chairman Giovanni Lopez.
The DOTr and SMRT7 identified the new depot site along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City, which was found optimal for right-of-way implement ability, asset constructibility, capital expenditure and operational expense efficiency, and operational reliability and maintainability.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade approved the depot site during his inspection on June 29, 2019.
“The start of depot works signifies much more than a dot in the timeline of the project. It shows us that when the judiciary work hand in hand with the executive department, we are able to pick up speed in delivering infrastructure development to the Filipino people,” Tugade said.
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10752 or the new Right-of-Way Act, the DOTr offered to buy the depot site from its owners at current market value, as appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) accredited independent property appraiser.
However, the property owners refused the DOTr’s current market value offer, forcing the DOTr and SMRT7, in coordination with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to file expropriation cases last November 15.
On November 22 and November 25, Writs of Possession in favor of the DOTr and SMRT7 were issued by the QC RTC Branches 92 and 98.
MRT7 is a 23-km. railway with 13 stations that will connect San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with North Avenue in Quezon City in about 34 minutes.
Once operational, the line is expected to ferry between 300,000 to 850,000 passengers per day, with room for capacity expansion to accommodate future increases in ridership. It will be connected to LRT-1, MRT-3, and the Metro Manila Subway at the Common Station in North Avenue.
As of October 2019, the MRT-7 project is 49.15% complete. It is scheduled to begin partial operations in 2021. —KBK, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/716925/mrt7-depot-works-commence-as-qc-court-grants-dotr-smmrt7-writ-of-possession/story/
Return to provisional operations of LRT Line 2 eyed by March or april
It may take around four months or more before power could be restored to the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2’s three stations that were shut down on Oct. 3 after two rectifiers (transformers) exploded and caught fire.
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said on Tuesday that it had asked its contractors to submit quotations for the train line’s damaged spare parts to meet the six-month deadline set by Congress for the resumption of provisional operations. Six contracts with a total approved budget of P562.9 million are at stake.
In an interview, LRTA spokesperson Hernando Cabrera said they were hoping to restore power to the shuttered stations—Anonas, Katipunan and Santolan—by March or April next year so that the maintenance of all trains could again be done at the Santolan depot.
Right now, maintenance of the five operational LRT 2 trains are being done on the tracks, in between stations. Two other trains are stuck between the shuttered stations and have not been operating since Oct. 3.
Cabrera added that they were targeting June for the reopening of the three stations to the public. At the moment, the LRT 2 runs only between Recto and Araneta Center-Cubao stations.
The LRTA board has been meeting twice a month to settle funding and procurement issues for the facilities damaged by the explosion and fire.
They have decided to resort to emergency negotiated procurement, meaning, the agency will directly negotiate contracts with its existing contractors and suppliers instead of holding a bidding.
Initially, Cabrera said, the board intended to acquire the existing rectifiers at the yet to be completed Common Station, But these were below the LRT 2’s specifications of 1,500 volts.
So far, the LRTA has divided the damaged components into four facilities: power, fiber optics, telecommunications and signaling.
The first six requests for quotation seen by the Inquirer sought to remedy the first two.
In the first contract, the LRTA asked Railworks Corp. to submit a proposal for the restoration of 120 single-mode fiber optic cables with a one-year warranty, under a P2.5 million approved budget for the contract (ABC).
In the second contract, the LRTA asked Autre Porte Technique, Inc.-Multi-Scan Corp.-Opus Land Inc. Joint Venture (Amsco JV) to repair and restore two train sets within 125 calendar days, with an ABC of P13 million.
The third contract with an ABC of P235 million covers the restoration of rectifiers 4, 5 and 6 and is part of the four packages meant to fix the damaged transformers and restore power to the three stations.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1194938/return-to-provisional-operations-of-lrt-line-2-eyed-by-march-or-april
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said on Tuesday that it had asked its contractors to submit quotations for the train line’s damaged spare parts to meet the six-month deadline set by Congress for the resumption of provisional operations. Six contracts with a total approved budget of P562.9 million are at stake.
In an interview, LRTA spokesperson Hernando Cabrera said they were hoping to restore power to the shuttered stations—Anonas, Katipunan and Santolan—by March or April next year so that the maintenance of all trains could again be done at the Santolan depot.
Right now, maintenance of the five operational LRT 2 trains are being done on the tracks, in between stations. Two other trains are stuck between the shuttered stations and have not been operating since Oct. 3.
Cabrera added that they were targeting June for the reopening of the three stations to the public. At the moment, the LRT 2 runs only between Recto and Araneta Center-Cubao stations.
The LRTA board has been meeting twice a month to settle funding and procurement issues for the facilities damaged by the explosion and fire.
They have decided to resort to emergency negotiated procurement, meaning, the agency will directly negotiate contracts with its existing contractors and suppliers instead of holding a bidding.
Initially, Cabrera said, the board intended to acquire the existing rectifiers at the yet to be completed Common Station, But these were below the LRT 2’s specifications of 1,500 volts.
So far, the LRTA has divided the damaged components into four facilities: power, fiber optics, telecommunications and signaling.
The first six requests for quotation seen by the Inquirer sought to remedy the first two.
In the first contract, the LRTA asked Railworks Corp. to submit a proposal for the restoration of 120 single-mode fiber optic cables with a one-year warranty, under a P2.5 million approved budget for the contract (ABC).
In the second contract, the LRTA asked Autre Porte Technique, Inc.-Multi-Scan Corp.-Opus Land Inc. Joint Venture (Amsco JV) to repair and restore two train sets within 125 calendar days, with an ABC of P13 million.
The third contract with an ABC of P235 million covers the restoration of rectifiers 4, 5 and 6 and is part of the four packages meant to fix the damaged transformers and restore power to the three stations.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1194938/return-to-provisional-operations-of-lrt-line-2-eyed-by-march-or-april
Friday, November 22, 2019
South rail to start in Q2—Salceda
Phase 1 of the P175-billion Philippine National Railways South Long Haul project from Calamba City, Laguna to Legazpi City, Albay will start construction in the second quarter of 2020.
Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who has been pushing for the project for many years, said the bidding for the 408-kilometer PNR segment was completed November this year and would be awarded to the winning contractor in April 2020.
The PNR Long Haul stretch consists of a 639-kilometer standard gauge railroad tracks from Manila to Sorsogon, a component of the PNR Luzon System program.
“Finally, the PNR South Railways project which we have tediously designed as a key that will unlock economic potentials of the vast Southern Tagalog and Bicol areas, will soon be a reality,” said Salceda, the project’s original proponent.
The PNR South Railway segment will cut the Manila-Legazpi travel to less than five hours. It runs from Manila to Matnog in Sorsogon with nine major stations―Manila, Los Baños, Batangas City, Lucena, Gumaca, Naga City, Legazpi City, Sorsogon City and Matnog.
Salceda said the PNR Luzon System under the Department of Transportation is among the big-ticket infrastructure projects under an official development assistance agreement recently signed between China and the Philippines.
http://manilastandard.net/business/biz-plus/310650/south-rail-to-start-in-q2-salceda-.html
Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who has been pushing for the project for many years, said the bidding for the 408-kilometer PNR segment was completed November this year and would be awarded to the winning contractor in April 2020.
The PNR Long Haul stretch consists of a 639-kilometer standard gauge railroad tracks from Manila to Sorsogon, a component of the PNR Luzon System program.
“Finally, the PNR South Railways project which we have tediously designed as a key that will unlock economic potentials of the vast Southern Tagalog and Bicol areas, will soon be a reality,” said Salceda, the project’s original proponent.
The PNR South Railway segment will cut the Manila-Legazpi travel to less than five hours. It runs from Manila to Matnog in Sorsogon with nine major stations―Manila, Los Baños, Batangas City, Lucena, Gumaca, Naga City, Legazpi City, Sorsogon City and Matnog.
Salceda said the PNR Luzon System under the Department of Transportation is among the big-ticket infrastructure projects under an official development assistance agreement recently signed between China and the Philippines.
http://manilastandard.net/business/biz-plus/310650/south-rail-to-start-in-q2-salceda-.html
SMC eyes opening of Skyway 3 by April 2020
San Miguel Corp. said the Skyway Stage 3 project, which stretches from Buendia in Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City, is set to open by April next year.
“Today, travel time between Baliktawak up to Buendia in Makati takes several hours. With the Skyway Stage 3, that will only take 15 minutes. Motorists from the south can also go directly to any point in Makati, Manila, Quezon City, and bypass Alabang and EDSA,” San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.
“Today, travel time between Baliktawak up to Buendia in Makati takes several hours. With the Skyway Stage 3, that will only take 15 minutes. Motorists from the south can also go directly to any point in Makati, Manila, Quezon City, and bypass Alabang and EDSA,” San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.
“More importantly, Skyway 3 will take out about 50 percent of vehicles on EDSA, according to our estimates,” Ang said.
Skyway Stage 3 has four sections, with Section 1 running from Buendia to Plaza Dilao, Section 2 from Plaza Dilao to Aurora Boulevard, Section 3 from Aurora Boulevard to Quezon Ave. and Section 4 from Quezon Avenue to EDSA/Balintawak.
The company is also constructing the Skyway Stage 4, a 58.09-km road from the south of Metro Manila Skyway to Batasan Complex, Quezon City. The project aims to decongest EDSA, C5 and other major roads, while providing a faster alternative route for motorists coming from Rizal and the CALABARZON area. It is expected to be completed by 2022.
San Miguel earlier said it would submit an unsolicited bid for a $3-billion elevated expressway along EDSA patterned after an Indonesian project.
San Miguel operates the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, South Luzon Expressway, the Skyway System and the NAIA Expressway.
San Miguel’s SMC Infrastructure is also building the 22-km Metro Rail Transit Line 7 from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
LRMC launches app for LRT-1
LIGHT RAIL Manila Corp. (LRMC) launched its free ikotMNL mobile app which gives commuters travel route information for the LRT-1 train line, LRMC said in a statement on Tuesday.
The app, which is available for both iOS and Android, allows users to plan trips ahead of time. It features real-time train arrivals, departures, fare information, crowd monitoring in twenty stations, information on tourist spots, safety reminders, passenger advisories, and announcements.
It also has a chat box for customer service assistance and a feedback form to help improve passenger experiences.
LRMC President and CEO Juan F. Alfonso talked about innovation as a tool to improve customer experience.
“This is the first railway and tourism app in the Philippines. We constantly look for modern ways to change the way we move people and this ikotMNL app is an innovative tool to delight our passengers with a comfortable, safe, and convenient experience when riding the LRT-1,” he said.
For tourists, the app contains detailed directions to tourist spots close to LRT-1 stations and information about local tour operators.
LRMC Corporate Communications Head Jacqueline Gorospe said the organization has spent time and effort in making the app “the best it can be” in its early stages.
“We already have more features in mind to add to the app. It is our way to keep improving it so that those who have downloaded and yet to download the ikotMNL mobile app may continue to enjoy using it,” she said.
LRMC said the app is a unified urban mobility and transport app, and could be developed into a lifestyle app.
The company plans to further upgrade the app by including beep card and QR code options for fares as well as participating in tie-ups with merchants.
LRMC is a private joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., Ayala Corp's AC Infrastructure and Holdings Corp., and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings.
LRMC took over operations of LRT-1 in September 2015, through a P65 billion three decade long concession agreement with the Department of Transportation and the Light Rail Transit Authority.
LRMC in Oct. acquired 90% of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, a P64.9 billion public-private partnership. — Jenina P. Ibañez
https://www.bworldonline.com/lrmc-launches-app-for-lrt-1/
The app, which is available for both iOS and Android, allows users to plan trips ahead of time. It features real-time train arrivals, departures, fare information, crowd monitoring in twenty stations, information on tourist spots, safety reminders, passenger advisories, and announcements.
It also has a chat box for customer service assistance and a feedback form to help improve passenger experiences.
LRMC President and CEO Juan F. Alfonso talked about innovation as a tool to improve customer experience.
“This is the first railway and tourism app in the Philippines. We constantly look for modern ways to change the way we move people and this ikotMNL app is an innovative tool to delight our passengers with a comfortable, safe, and convenient experience when riding the LRT-1,” he said.
For tourists, the app contains detailed directions to tourist spots close to LRT-1 stations and information about local tour operators.
LRMC Corporate Communications Head Jacqueline Gorospe said the organization has spent time and effort in making the app “the best it can be” in its early stages.
“We already have more features in mind to add to the app. It is our way to keep improving it so that those who have downloaded and yet to download the ikotMNL mobile app may continue to enjoy using it,” she said.
LRMC said the app is a unified urban mobility and transport app, and could be developed into a lifestyle app.
The company plans to further upgrade the app by including beep card and QR code options for fares as well as participating in tie-ups with merchants.
LRMC is a private joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., Ayala Corp's AC Infrastructure and Holdings Corp., and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings.
LRMC took over operations of LRT-1 in September 2015, through a P65 billion three decade long concession agreement with the Department of Transportation and the Light Rail Transit Authority.
LRMC in Oct. acquired 90% of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, a P64.9 billion public-private partnership. — Jenina P. Ibañez
https://www.bworldonline.com/lrmc-launches-app-for-lrt-1/
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Subway to evict us for oligarchs’ sake, homeowners cry to Rody
The subway is taking our property for giveaway to big business.” Home and lot owners at both ends of a planned Metro Manila underground rail relayed that plot to President Rody Duterte. For “oligarchic interest” the subway is evicting them from prime residential, commercial, and industrial property even though nearby government lands are available as alternatives. The homes and lots are to be expropriated at huge government expense, then granted to influential conglomerates for commercial use.
Anguished are folk from Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City, north side of the capital region, and Barangay San Martin de Porres, Parañaque City, south. An oversized depot is planned in Ugong, despite Japanese rail experts’ study for only one-fourth the size and at a different site. A previously announced “Bicutan station” is to rise in San Martin, less than a kilometer from the original end-station at Food Terminal Inc., Taguig, where vast public lands are aplenty.
The Valenzuela and Parañaque property owners separately have petitioned Duterte to save them from dispossession. They seek audiences with him to detail their findings.
“We are 100-percent behind our President’s ‘Build, Build, Build Program’,” the Valenzuelans wrote on June 22, 2017. “We realize there is Public-Private Partnership in big projects like [the subway]... Conglomerates that have money, power, and connections look for economical means of expanding their businesses, and use this opportunity to acquire land. As they have the capacity to influence, they do not need to look for land that is for sale, or spend money accommodating and working around resistant landowners. They may simply exploit government’s power of eminent domain.”
They went on: “Unlike multibillionaire businessmen, we cannot find cheap land and turn them to gold. We have to wait and rely on our fate and our government to build us nice roads and highways for the value of our land to appreciate.”
Some petitioners have been living in Ugong for half a century, inheriting ancestral land when there were yet no roads or utilities. Once outback, it is now mostly commercial-industrial, with factories, shops, restaurants, resorts, schools, hospitals, and churches. “Painful for us that just when our land is starting to flourish, it will be taken away,” they said. “There can be no other better land with this much potential for us to move and transfer our residences and businesses. Taking our land is tantamount to taking our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a good future.”
The 32 hectares being taken in Ugong is quadruple what Japan International Cooperation Agency recommended to the Dept. of Transportation in 2015, they said. Elongated, the area has a 2.5-km prime highway frontage. Lots are worth P33,000 per square meter. An adjacent largely uninhabited residential subdivision, across the boundary in Caloocan City, is being sold for far less. Beside it are two abandoned factories and squatter colonies presently being relocated. Unlike parts of Ugong, the subdivision never floods up during rains, ideal for a depot.
Nearly 1,300 lot owners, businessmen, residents, and employees signed. DOTr policy is to use government lands as much as possible, while JICA’s is to minimize socio-economic dislocations.
“At first we were hesitant to bother you with our problem, but it seems you are our only hope,” the Valenzuela petitioners followed up with Duterte on Sep. 13, 2017. “We have to safeguard our property and livelihood against corrupt officials [and] oligarchs, because their motives and actions will adversely affect the future and welfare of our children... We hope we can sit down and discuss this matter with you at the soonest possible time.”
In Parañaque, homeowners of United Hills Village wrote Duterte two years later, Sep. 20, 2019. Along with residents and shop owners of United Parañaque Subd.-2, Makati South Hills, East Service Road, and Malugay, they had been notified by Ecosys of expropriation and displacement for a newly disclosed Bicutan station. Supposedly their property are to serve as temporary road and construction yard, then for “mixed use or commercial business purposes.” They pointed to three nearby government lands, as well as two abandoned private lots, as alternative. One is owned by DOTr itself, another by Philippine National Construction Co., and the third, at least 26 hectares, by the Dept. of Agriculture. The latter is inside sprawling Food Terminal Inc. where the subway end-station originally was proposed.
“Expropriation is unnecessary since the purpose is temporary in nature,” they told Duterte. “There are sufficient available public lands covering many hectares all around the area, which could be utilized by the contractors. As such the government will save millions of taxpayers money as public land is free for government use.”
They added: “There is no necessity for government to exercise its power of eminent domain, otherwise it would lead to oppression and sacrifice of private property to benefit business interests.”
The Parañaque folk asked Duterte to order a DOTr resurvey of the area for new lot plans and site maps using government lands in FTI.
“Nothing would make us happier than to build a future in which our children can live in a prosperous and stable society,” they said. “But expropriation, which would ultimately benefit private individuals and enterprises, will deny that future.”
They also petitioned the Parañaque city council to first publicly hear their side, in accordance with the Local Government Code, before granting permits for the subway works. They cited health and environment hazards of the construction and operation.
“Investigate possible vested interests of big businesses regarding the Bicutan station and sudden interest in expropriation of United Hills Village,” they said in that earlier petition. Any expropriation must be solely for public, not for mixed commercial use. Alarming for them is a Mar. 25, 2018 article in the Philippine Information Agency website, “Gov’t Eyes Commercial Development of Metro Subway Stations to Help Pay Off JICA Loan for Project.”
In Quezon City, where seven of 15 subway stations are to be built, property owners are resisting too. City councilors have asked DOTr to revert to the original alignment along EDSA, to augment MRT-3.
The subway suddenly was rerouted in Dec. 2016 to Katipunan Avenue, QC, onto FTI-Taguig. In that new alignment it would twice traverse a major earthquake fault and flood zones. Cost estimate shot up from P208 billion to P357 billion. JICA engineers had preferred the EDSA route benefiting more riders and disturbing few structures.
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/11/20/1970241/subway-evict-us-oligarchs-sake-homeowners-cry-rody
Anguished are folk from Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City, north side of the capital region, and Barangay San Martin de Porres, Parañaque City, south. An oversized depot is planned in Ugong, despite Japanese rail experts’ study for only one-fourth the size and at a different site. A previously announced “Bicutan station” is to rise in San Martin, less than a kilometer from the original end-station at Food Terminal Inc., Taguig, where vast public lands are aplenty.
The Valenzuela and Parañaque property owners separately have petitioned Duterte to save them from dispossession. They seek audiences with him to detail their findings.
“We are 100-percent behind our President’s ‘Build, Build, Build Program’,” the Valenzuelans wrote on June 22, 2017. “We realize there is Public-Private Partnership in big projects like [the subway]... Conglomerates that have money, power, and connections look for economical means of expanding their businesses, and use this opportunity to acquire land. As they have the capacity to influence, they do not need to look for land that is for sale, or spend money accommodating and working around resistant landowners. They may simply exploit government’s power of eminent domain.”
They went on: “Unlike multibillionaire businessmen, we cannot find cheap land and turn them to gold. We have to wait and rely on our fate and our government to build us nice roads and highways for the value of our land to appreciate.”
Some petitioners have been living in Ugong for half a century, inheriting ancestral land when there were yet no roads or utilities. Once outback, it is now mostly commercial-industrial, with factories, shops, restaurants, resorts, schools, hospitals, and churches. “Painful for us that just when our land is starting to flourish, it will be taken away,” they said. “There can be no other better land with this much potential for us to move and transfer our residences and businesses. Taking our land is tantamount to taking our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a good future.”
The 32 hectares being taken in Ugong is quadruple what Japan International Cooperation Agency recommended to the Dept. of Transportation in 2015, they said. Elongated, the area has a 2.5-km prime highway frontage. Lots are worth P33,000 per square meter. An adjacent largely uninhabited residential subdivision, across the boundary in Caloocan City, is being sold for far less. Beside it are two abandoned factories and squatter colonies presently being relocated. Unlike parts of Ugong, the subdivision never floods up during rains, ideal for a depot.
Nearly 1,300 lot owners, businessmen, residents, and employees signed. DOTr policy is to use government lands as much as possible, while JICA’s is to minimize socio-economic dislocations.
“At first we were hesitant to bother you with our problem, but it seems you are our only hope,” the Valenzuela petitioners followed up with Duterte on Sep. 13, 2017. “We have to safeguard our property and livelihood against corrupt officials [and] oligarchs, because their motives and actions will adversely affect the future and welfare of our children... We hope we can sit down and discuss this matter with you at the soonest possible time.”
In Parañaque, homeowners of United Hills Village wrote Duterte two years later, Sep. 20, 2019. Along with residents and shop owners of United Parañaque Subd.-2, Makati South Hills, East Service Road, and Malugay, they had been notified by Ecosys of expropriation and displacement for a newly disclosed Bicutan station. Supposedly their property are to serve as temporary road and construction yard, then for “mixed use or commercial business purposes.” They pointed to three nearby government lands, as well as two abandoned private lots, as alternative. One is owned by DOTr itself, another by Philippine National Construction Co., and the third, at least 26 hectares, by the Dept. of Agriculture. The latter is inside sprawling Food Terminal Inc. where the subway end-station originally was proposed.
“Expropriation is unnecessary since the purpose is temporary in nature,” they told Duterte. “There are sufficient available public lands covering many hectares all around the area, which could be utilized by the contractors. As such the government will save millions of taxpayers money as public land is free for government use.”
They added: “There is no necessity for government to exercise its power of eminent domain, otherwise it would lead to oppression and sacrifice of private property to benefit business interests.”
The Parañaque folk asked Duterte to order a DOTr resurvey of the area for new lot plans and site maps using government lands in FTI.
“Nothing would make us happier than to build a future in which our children can live in a prosperous and stable society,” they said. “But expropriation, which would ultimately benefit private individuals and enterprises, will deny that future.”
They also petitioned the Parañaque city council to first publicly hear their side, in accordance with the Local Government Code, before granting permits for the subway works. They cited health and environment hazards of the construction and operation.
“Investigate possible vested interests of big businesses regarding the Bicutan station and sudden interest in expropriation of United Hills Village,” they said in that earlier petition. Any expropriation must be solely for public, not for mixed commercial use. Alarming for them is a Mar. 25, 2018 article in the Philippine Information Agency website, “Gov’t Eyes Commercial Development of Metro Subway Stations to Help Pay Off JICA Loan for Project.”
In Quezon City, where seven of 15 subway stations are to be built, property owners are resisting too. City councilors have asked DOTr to revert to the original alignment along EDSA, to augment MRT-3.
The subway suddenly was rerouted in Dec. 2016 to Katipunan Avenue, QC, onto FTI-Taguig. In that new alignment it would twice traverse a major earthquake fault and flood zones. Cost estimate shot up from P208 billion to P357 billion. JICA engineers had preferred the EDSA route benefiting more riders and disturbing few structures.
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/11/20/1970241/subway-evict-us-oligarchs-sake-homeowners-cry-rody
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Commentary: Tracking the metro rail trains
The MRT-3 is almost two decades old. The glitches and malfunctions that this metro rail system continues to suffer are symptomatic of the need to undertake serious rehabilitation and repairs.
Last September 6, the said metro rail only resumed regular operations at 5 p.m. after the northbound lane of the Guadalupe station suffered from a power supply problem at 6:45 a.m. Partial operations were however continued at 9:35 a.m.
On October 3, another power glitch forced 508 passengers to disembark at 10:17 a.m.; but normal operations continued several minutes after power supply was returned. And on November 4, around 530 passengers were unloaded from the train after smoke emission was detected at the Santolan station at 4:08 p.m. Normal operations were restored at 6:06 p.m.
In 2017, hundreds and thousands of commuters were affected by more than 500 recorded glitches and malfunctions. This is unacceptable by any standard and underscore the public’s continuing aspiration for an efficient and reliable rail based systems for efficient daily transport of millions of commuters of Metro Manila
Despite serious delays in the rehabilitation schedule, the Department of Transportation rail sector led by Undersecretary Timothy John Batan is optimistic that MRT-3’s rehabilitation and maintenance provider, Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy, will be able to deliver on its commitment to carry out extensive repairs to all rolling stock and equipment in order to restore the MRT-3’ s safety and efficiency.
Aside from the external risks brought by the Philippine government’s insistence on using the Dalian coaches, rehabilitation would include ensuring high operating rates of entire line even after the repairs are finished.
In fact, the MRT-3’s rehabilitation plan includes repairs covering the rail lines, wiring, transformers, signals, communications, rolling stock, among others. Basically, the ultimate objective of the rehabilitation is to return the MRT-3 to its original state when it first went into full operation in 2000.
Meanwhile, there is a new controversy on the DoTr’s flagship rail project, the Metro Manila Subway. Senate Public Services Committee Chair Grace Poe has sought an inquiry on the country’s first underground rail service, due to cost concerns and the alteration of original plans.
The Quezon City Council led by Councilor Winston Castelo raised concerns related to the proximity of the subway to the West Valley Fault, and proposed a rerouting of the subway alignment along EDSA.
However, no less than Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade had dismissed all possibility that the subway alignment may be changed. “The alignment will not be changed anymore because the study has already been approved. At a certain point, if there are solutions that we can use, we will study them,” he said.
In fairness to the DoTr, the approved subway proposal was the result of a thorough study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and validated by country’s state planning agency, the National Economic Development Authority.
The subway will connect different Metro Manila cities, from Quezon City in the north to Parañaque in the south, which would definitely address the transportation needs of a growing public and alleviate serious traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
In fact, the subway project is envisioned to be one of the main north-south transport backbones of Metro Manila, together with other upcoming rail projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway project (NSCR).
Courtesy of Japan, the Philippine government in March 2018 signed the first loan agreement from JICA covering 104.53 billion yen (P51 billion). The total project cost is estimated at 800 billion yen (P393 billion). The loan will have an interest rate of 0.1% a year and a repayment period of 40 years, including a 12-year grace period.
The subway trains are projected to travel at a scheduled speed of 35.6-48.5 kilometer per hour plying a tunnel structure that is designed as a double, single track with a standard diameter of 6.8 meters. Further, the joint DOTr-JICA project summary also provided that the planners have studied alternate routes, namely, along Metro Manila’s main road Edsa and Greenhills in San Juan. Lastly, the final alignment was chosen based on project cost, demand forecasts, connectivity to business districts, earthquake and flood risk as well as noise and vibration.
Another critical factor in the development of this subway project is to ensure that all money spent for undergoes the right processes, particularly related to right-of-way acquisition.
As the country’s first underground rail service, affected property owners along the subway alignment may be uncertain of their legal rights in the event the project tunnels through their properties. In this respect, the DoTr is expected to conduct and present a legal study defining these novel types of property rights which will certainly come to the fore as subway construction starts.
The Metro Manila subway will span 35 kilometers with stations in Mindanao Avenue, Tandang Sora, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, Katipunan, Ortigas North, Ortigas South, Kalayaan Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Cayetano Boulevard, the Food Terminal Inc. complex and NAIA.
Current Philippine infrastructure challenges portend strategic developmental opportunities that government and private sector should jointly seize. It is hence imperative for government to initiate and implement effective collaborative partnerships. We just have to do it right.
Terry Ridon is fellow for Infrastructure of the Stratbase ADR Institute, convenor of Infrawatch PH, and former chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor. He was a member of the House Transportation Committee of the 16th Congress.
https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/news-feature/2019/11/17/1969521/commentary-tracking-metro-rail-trains
Last September 6, the said metro rail only resumed regular operations at 5 p.m. after the northbound lane of the Guadalupe station suffered from a power supply problem at 6:45 a.m. Partial operations were however continued at 9:35 a.m.
On October 3, another power glitch forced 508 passengers to disembark at 10:17 a.m.; but normal operations continued several minutes after power supply was returned. And on November 4, around 530 passengers were unloaded from the train after smoke emission was detected at the Santolan station at 4:08 p.m. Normal operations were restored at 6:06 p.m.
In 2017, hundreds and thousands of commuters were affected by more than 500 recorded glitches and malfunctions. This is unacceptable by any standard and underscore the public’s continuing aspiration for an efficient and reliable rail based systems for efficient daily transport of millions of commuters of Metro Manila
Despite serious delays in the rehabilitation schedule, the Department of Transportation rail sector led by Undersecretary Timothy John Batan is optimistic that MRT-3’s rehabilitation and maintenance provider, Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy, will be able to deliver on its commitment to carry out extensive repairs to all rolling stock and equipment in order to restore the MRT-3’ s safety and efficiency.
Aside from the external risks brought by the Philippine government’s insistence on using the Dalian coaches, rehabilitation would include ensuring high operating rates of entire line even after the repairs are finished.
In fact, the MRT-3’s rehabilitation plan includes repairs covering the rail lines, wiring, transformers, signals, communications, rolling stock, among others. Basically, the ultimate objective of the rehabilitation is to return the MRT-3 to its original state when it first went into full operation in 2000.
Meanwhile, there is a new controversy on the DoTr’s flagship rail project, the Metro Manila Subway. Senate Public Services Committee Chair Grace Poe has sought an inquiry on the country’s first underground rail service, due to cost concerns and the alteration of original plans.
The Quezon City Council led by Councilor Winston Castelo raised concerns related to the proximity of the subway to the West Valley Fault, and proposed a rerouting of the subway alignment along EDSA.
However, no less than Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade had dismissed all possibility that the subway alignment may be changed. “The alignment will not be changed anymore because the study has already been approved. At a certain point, if there are solutions that we can use, we will study them,” he said.
In fairness to the DoTr, the approved subway proposal was the result of a thorough study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and validated by country’s state planning agency, the National Economic Development Authority.
The subway will connect different Metro Manila cities, from Quezon City in the north to Parañaque in the south, which would definitely address the transportation needs of a growing public and alleviate serious traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
In fact, the subway project is envisioned to be one of the main north-south transport backbones of Metro Manila, together with other upcoming rail projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway project (NSCR).
Courtesy of Japan, the Philippine government in March 2018 signed the first loan agreement from JICA covering 104.53 billion yen (P51 billion). The total project cost is estimated at 800 billion yen (P393 billion). The loan will have an interest rate of 0.1% a year and a repayment period of 40 years, including a 12-year grace period.
The subway trains are projected to travel at a scheduled speed of 35.6-48.5 kilometer per hour plying a tunnel structure that is designed as a double, single track with a standard diameter of 6.8 meters. Further, the joint DOTr-JICA project summary also provided that the planners have studied alternate routes, namely, along Metro Manila’s main road Edsa and Greenhills in San Juan. Lastly, the final alignment was chosen based on project cost, demand forecasts, connectivity to business districts, earthquake and flood risk as well as noise and vibration.
Another critical factor in the development of this subway project is to ensure that all money spent for undergoes the right processes, particularly related to right-of-way acquisition.
As the country’s first underground rail service, affected property owners along the subway alignment may be uncertain of their legal rights in the event the project tunnels through their properties. In this respect, the DoTr is expected to conduct and present a legal study defining these novel types of property rights which will certainly come to the fore as subway construction starts.
The Metro Manila subway will span 35 kilometers with stations in Mindanao Avenue, Tandang Sora, North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, Katipunan, Ortigas North, Ortigas South, Kalayaan Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Cayetano Boulevard, the Food Terminal Inc. complex and NAIA.
Current Philippine infrastructure challenges portend strategic developmental opportunities that government and private sector should jointly seize. It is hence imperative for government to initiate and implement effective collaborative partnerships. We just have to do it right.
Terry Ridon is fellow for Infrastructure of the Stratbase ADR Institute, convenor of Infrawatch PH, and former chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor. He was a member of the House Transportation Committee of the 16th Congress.
https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/news-feature/2019/11/17/1969521/commentary-tracking-metro-rail-trains
Saturday, November 16, 2019
56 flagship projects to be completed by 2022
MORE than half of the 100 flagship projects under the government’s infrastructure program is expected to be completed by 2022, while nearly half will be funded through official development assistance (ODA), according to a preliminary copy of the revised list was sent by Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente “Joey” S. Salceda to reporters on Friday.
The document showed 56 out of 100 projects under the revised list are targeted for completion by 2022.
The first phase of the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) Road Transport Information Technology Infrastructure Project, worth P8 billion and funded through the national budget, is set to be completed this year.
Twelve projects are on track to be completed by 2020, namely:
Bonifacio Global City- Ortigas Center Link Road Project;
Cagayan de Oro Coastal Road;
Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 1 (Quezon Ave);
Clark International Airport Expansion Project Phase 1;
Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 East Extension;
Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project;
Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project;
National Government Data Center;
Luzon Bypass Infrastructure Project;
Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3;
Laguindingan Airport; and
Agus 3 Hydroelectric Power Project.
Sixteen projects are expected to be done by 2021. These are:
Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project;
Chico River Pump Irrigation Project;
Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7;
North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road;
Boracay Circumferential Road;
Surallah-T’Boli-San Jose Road, South Cotabato;
MRT 3 Rehabilitation Project;
Cebu BRT;
Automated Fare Collection Clearing House;
LRT 6 Cavite;
New Bohol International Airport;
Unified Grand Central Station;
Pasacao-Balatan Tourism Coastal Highway;
Reconstruction and Development Plan for Greater Marawi (JICA grant);
Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange;
China Grant Bridges (Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge).
Another 27 projects will be finished by 2022, include airports, expressways, and railways. These include:
Sangley Airport;
Bicol (New Legaspi International Airport);
Kalibo International Airport;
North South Commuter Railway;
LRT 1 Cavite Extension;
C-5 MRT 10;
Fort Bonifacio-Makati Sky Train;
MRT 11;
EDSA Greenways;
New Cebu International Container Port;
Mindanao Rail Project Phase 1;
Camarines Sur Expressway;
Metro Cebu Expressway;
Southeast Metro Manila Expressway;
C-5 Southlink;
SLEX Toll Road 4;
Sindangan-Bayog- Lakewood Road in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte;
Davao City Coastal Road Project, including Bucana bridge;
Philippine Identification System;
Metro Manila Priority Bridges for Seismic Improvement Project;
Subic-Clark Railway;
Arterial Road ByPass Project Phase III (Plaridel Bypass);
Davao City Bypass Construction Project;
Panguil Bay Bridge;
Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay;
Marawi Rehabilitation (China Grant), including bridge, bypass, the Grand Padian market and sports complex; and
New Clark City Phase 1, involving the National Government Administrative Center Phase 1 and the Filinvest Mixed Use Industrial Development Phase 1 site development.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte steps down from office on June 30, 2022.
The remaining 44 projects will be completed beyond 2022.
On the funding side, 49 projects worth P2.31 trillion will be financed by foreign-aided loans or ODA, while 29 projects are under public-private partnerships (PPP) with total government cost of P1.77 trillion.
Meanwhile, the remaining 22 projects worth P167.95 billion will be financed by the government through the national budget.
Among the PPP projects included in the list are the unsolicited proposal of Iloilo International Airport, Bacolod-Silay International Airport, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway Extension Project and the Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway Project, which are all now at advance stages of approval from the government.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia earlier announced that the total government’s cost for the infrastructure flagship program is estimated to reach P4.2 trillion, while the entire “Build, Build, Build” program, which consists of over 4,000 projects, is about P8.2 trillion.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO and the presidential adviser for flagship programs Vivencio B. Dizon earlier said that the infrastructure flagship program is an “evolving list” as new projects that are “deemed of national and regional importance” will be included later on.
Earlier this month, the government officially announced that it reviewed and decided to revise the initial list of infrastructure flagship projects to 100 from 75, including more PPPs, while scrapping projects deemed not feasible.
The list was later on approved by the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee and the Cabinet-level Committee on Infrastructure.
In an event this week, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said that PPP projects should promote the interest of the public by “avoiding contracts that are disadvantageous to the government and a burden to the people with very high fees.”
“The vibrant participation so far from international and local companies in our Build, Build, Build program is proof that they have trust in the Duterte administration and in the transparent, fair and corruption-free bidding process implemented by the government,” Mr. Dominguez said. — Beatrice M. Laforga
https://www.bworldonline.com/56-flagship-projects-to-be-completed-by-2022/
The document showed 56 out of 100 projects under the revised list are targeted for completion by 2022.
The first phase of the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) Road Transport Information Technology Infrastructure Project, worth P8 billion and funded through the national budget, is set to be completed this year.
Twelve projects are on track to be completed by 2020, namely:
Bonifacio Global City- Ortigas Center Link Road Project;
Cagayan de Oro Coastal Road;
Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 1 (Quezon Ave);
Clark International Airport Expansion Project Phase 1;
Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 East Extension;
Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project;
Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project;
National Government Data Center;
Luzon Bypass Infrastructure Project;
Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3;
Laguindingan Airport; and
Agus 3 Hydroelectric Power Project.
Sixteen projects are expected to be done by 2021. These are:
Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project;
Chico River Pump Irrigation Project;
Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7;
North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road;
Boracay Circumferential Road;
Surallah-T’Boli-San Jose Road, South Cotabato;
MRT 3 Rehabilitation Project;
Cebu BRT;
Automated Fare Collection Clearing House;
LRT 6 Cavite;
New Bohol International Airport;
Unified Grand Central Station;
Pasacao-Balatan Tourism Coastal Highway;
Reconstruction and Development Plan for Greater Marawi (JICA grant);
Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange;
China Grant Bridges (Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge).
Another 27 projects will be finished by 2022, include airports, expressways, and railways. These include:
Sangley Airport;
Bicol (New Legaspi International Airport);
Kalibo International Airport;
North South Commuter Railway;
LRT 1 Cavite Extension;
C-5 MRT 10;
Fort Bonifacio-Makati Sky Train;
MRT 11;
EDSA Greenways;
New Cebu International Container Port;
Mindanao Rail Project Phase 1;
Camarines Sur Expressway;
Metro Cebu Expressway;
Southeast Metro Manila Expressway;
C-5 Southlink;
SLEX Toll Road 4;
Sindangan-Bayog- Lakewood Road in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte;
Davao City Coastal Road Project, including Bucana bridge;
Philippine Identification System;
Metro Manila Priority Bridges for Seismic Improvement Project;
Subic-Clark Railway;
Arterial Road ByPass Project Phase III (Plaridel Bypass);
Davao City Bypass Construction Project;
Panguil Bay Bridge;
Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay;
Marawi Rehabilitation (China Grant), including bridge, bypass, the Grand Padian market and sports complex; and
New Clark City Phase 1, involving the National Government Administrative Center Phase 1 and the Filinvest Mixed Use Industrial Development Phase 1 site development.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte steps down from office on June 30, 2022.
The remaining 44 projects will be completed beyond 2022.
On the funding side, 49 projects worth P2.31 trillion will be financed by foreign-aided loans or ODA, while 29 projects are under public-private partnerships (PPP) with total government cost of P1.77 trillion.
Meanwhile, the remaining 22 projects worth P167.95 billion will be financed by the government through the national budget.
Among the PPP projects included in the list are the unsolicited proposal of Iloilo International Airport, Bacolod-Silay International Airport, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway Extension Project and the Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway Project, which are all now at advance stages of approval from the government.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia earlier announced that the total government’s cost for the infrastructure flagship program is estimated to reach P4.2 trillion, while the entire “Build, Build, Build” program, which consists of over 4,000 projects, is about P8.2 trillion.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO and the presidential adviser for flagship programs Vivencio B. Dizon earlier said that the infrastructure flagship program is an “evolving list” as new projects that are “deemed of national and regional importance” will be included later on.
Earlier this month, the government officially announced that it reviewed and decided to revise the initial list of infrastructure flagship projects to 100 from 75, including more PPPs, while scrapping projects deemed not feasible.
The list was later on approved by the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee and the Cabinet-level Committee on Infrastructure.
In an event this week, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said that PPP projects should promote the interest of the public by “avoiding contracts that are disadvantageous to the government and a burden to the people with very high fees.”
“The vibrant participation so far from international and local companies in our Build, Build, Build program is proof that they have trust in the Duterte administration and in the transparent, fair and corruption-free bidding process implemented by the government,” Mr. Dominguez said. — Beatrice M. Laforga
https://www.bworldonline.com/56-flagship-projects-to-be-completed-by-2022/
Thursday, November 14, 2019
'Build, Build, Build' beyond 75 key infra projects: DOTr
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday rejected Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon’s claim that the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program was a failure, citing numerous completed and ongoing infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration.
In a phone interview, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs Goddes Hope Libiran said the list presented by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) which include 75 flagship projects were submitted back at the beginning of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term and does not reflect the evolving needs of the country.
“As you go along, you need to have an evolving list kung ano yung mga projects na sa tingin ng economic managers kailangan masimulan saka mas kailangan ng mga tao ngayon (of what projects are seen by economic managers as necessary to begin and most needed by people),” Libiran said.
Such a list, Libiran said, would naturally include projects that should be completed or started during the Duterte administration.
She added that the BBB project was beyond those initial 75 projects and that the department has already completed numerous projects with more ongoing.
“As far as the DOTr is concerned, nagde-deliver kami ng mga (we deliver) infrastructure projects. Even more than what is expected of us,” Libiran said.
For airports, Libiran said 64 projects have been completed by the DOTr and its partners, with another 133 projects ongoing.
The completed airport projects include the new passenger terminal building of the Puerto Princesa International Airport completed on May 2017, “World’s Friendliest Resort Airport” Mactan-Cebu International Airport inaugurated on June 2018, the country’s first eco airport—Bohol-Panglao International Airport—inaugurated on November 2018, among many others.
“All other domestic projects na napabayaan in the last years, natapos natin (that were neglected in previous years, we completed)—the Ormoc Airport, the Tacloban Airport, and so many other airport projects,” Libiran said.
For maritime ports, she said the DOTr has completed 243 port projects nationwide in partnership with the Philippine Ports Authority and other stakeholders.
For land terminals, she cited the completion of the country’s first land port, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, with two more terminals in the pipeline—the Taguig City Integrated Terminal Exchange and the North Integrated Terminal Exchange.
Libiran said there are also numerous ongoing rail projects with six under construction, one rehabilitation project, and another eight in the pipeline.
The ongoing projects include the Metro Manila Subway which broke ground in Feb. 2018, the MRT-7 which was 49.22 percent complete as of October, MRT-3 rehabilitation which began in May 2019, and the Common Station for the MRT-3, MRT-7, LRT-1, and the Metro Manila subway to be completed in 2021, among others.
“Yung subway nga lang eh. ‘Di ba, when we came in, sinasabi nila diyan, drawing lang yan, hindi daw totoo. Nananaginip lang daw kami. Pero ano nangyari? Nag-groundbreaking tayo nung February (Let’s just talk about the subway. Isn’t it when we came in, they were saying this will not push through? That we were just dreaming. But what happened? We already had a groundbreaking back in Feb.),” Libiran said.
During plenary deliberations on the proposed 2020 budget on Tuesday, Drilon said the BBB project was a “dismal failure” with only nine out of 75 flagship projects under construction halfway into Duterte’s term. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1085890
In a phone interview, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs Goddes Hope Libiran said the list presented by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) which include 75 flagship projects were submitted back at the beginning of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term and does not reflect the evolving needs of the country.
“As you go along, you need to have an evolving list kung ano yung mga projects na sa tingin ng economic managers kailangan masimulan saka mas kailangan ng mga tao ngayon (of what projects are seen by economic managers as necessary to begin and most needed by people),” Libiran said.
Such a list, Libiran said, would naturally include projects that should be completed or started during the Duterte administration.
She added that the BBB project was beyond those initial 75 projects and that the department has already completed numerous projects with more ongoing.
“As far as the DOTr is concerned, nagde-deliver kami ng mga (we deliver) infrastructure projects. Even more than what is expected of us,” Libiran said.
For airports, Libiran said 64 projects have been completed by the DOTr and its partners, with another 133 projects ongoing.
The completed airport projects include the new passenger terminal building of the Puerto Princesa International Airport completed on May 2017, “World’s Friendliest Resort Airport” Mactan-Cebu International Airport inaugurated on June 2018, the country’s first eco airport—Bohol-Panglao International Airport—inaugurated on November 2018, among many others.
“All other domestic projects na napabayaan in the last years, natapos natin (that were neglected in previous years, we completed)—the Ormoc Airport, the Tacloban Airport, and so many other airport projects,” Libiran said.
For maritime ports, she said the DOTr has completed 243 port projects nationwide in partnership with the Philippine Ports Authority and other stakeholders.
For land terminals, she cited the completion of the country’s first land port, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, with two more terminals in the pipeline—the Taguig City Integrated Terminal Exchange and the North Integrated Terminal Exchange.
Libiran said there are also numerous ongoing rail projects with six under construction, one rehabilitation project, and another eight in the pipeline.
The ongoing projects include the Metro Manila Subway which broke ground in Feb. 2018, the MRT-7 which was 49.22 percent complete as of October, MRT-3 rehabilitation which began in May 2019, and the Common Station for the MRT-3, MRT-7, LRT-1, and the Metro Manila subway to be completed in 2021, among others.
“Yung subway nga lang eh. ‘Di ba, when we came in, sinasabi nila diyan, drawing lang yan, hindi daw totoo. Nananaginip lang daw kami. Pero ano nangyari? Nag-groundbreaking tayo nung February (Let’s just talk about the subway. Isn’t it when we came in, they were saying this will not push through? That we were just dreaming. But what happened? We already had a groundbreaking back in Feb.),” Libiran said.
During plenary deliberations on the proposed 2020 budget on Tuesday, Drilon said the BBB project was a “dismal failure” with only nine out of 75 flagship projects under construction halfway into Duterte’s term. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1085890
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
QC, Manila North Tollways Corp. agree to work together to address traffic caused by NLEX C-5 Link project
By Chito Chavez
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte allayed fears of worsening traffic situation after the city government inked an agreement with the Manila North Tollways Corporation that would help alleviate the impact of the NLEX C-5 Link to the public.
Earlier, mounting complaints have bombarded local traffic authorities as portions of Congressional and Mindanao Avenues have been heavily congested amid the ongoing construction of the NLEX C-5 Link project.
Based on the agreement, Quezon City District 6 Representative Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte revealed that the right of way required for the project will be reduced from 90 to 60 meters.
He said the difference of 30 meters will be allocated for the in-city resettlement of those affected by the construction.
“With this proposed solution, the traffic along (Congressional Avenue and Mindanao Avenue) will be decongested dramatically, while at the same time addressing the displacement of project-affected families,” Belmonte said.
The lady mayor has established a task force to mitigate the impact of major infrastructure projects within the city.
Called Task Force Build 5, the team includes the Department of Transportation (DoTr), Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the National Housing Authority (NHA), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The Quezon City government also plans to construct mid- to high-rise socialized housing for the affected residents while allowing the private sector to get involved through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The NLEX C-5 Link, also known as Segment 8.2, will connect NLEX and C-5 through Mindanao and Republic Avenue.
The project aims to reduce travel time from Mindanao Avenue to Commonwealth from 45 to 10 minutes and will cut through seven Quezon City barangays and one barangay in Valenzuela.
Based on a census by the National Housing Authority (NHA), a total of 18,000 families will be affected by the construction, 60 percent of which are residents of Barangays Talipapa, Pasong Tamo, Culiat, and Sauyo in District 6.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/11/12/qc-manila-north-tollways-corp-agree-to-work-together-to-address-traffic-caused-by-nlex-c-5-link-project/
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte allayed fears of worsening traffic situation after the city government inked an agreement with the Manila North Tollways Corporation that would help alleviate the impact of the NLEX C-5 Link to the public.
Earlier, mounting complaints have bombarded local traffic authorities as portions of Congressional and Mindanao Avenues have been heavily congested amid the ongoing construction of the NLEX C-5 Link project.
Based on the agreement, Quezon City District 6 Representative Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte revealed that the right of way required for the project will be reduced from 90 to 60 meters.
He said the difference of 30 meters will be allocated for the in-city resettlement of those affected by the construction.
“With this proposed solution, the traffic along (Congressional Avenue and Mindanao Avenue) will be decongested dramatically, while at the same time addressing the displacement of project-affected families,” Belmonte said.
The lady mayor has established a task force to mitigate the impact of major infrastructure projects within the city.
Called Task Force Build 5, the team includes the Department of Transportation (DoTr), Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the National Housing Authority (NHA), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The Quezon City government also plans to construct mid- to high-rise socialized housing for the affected residents while allowing the private sector to get involved through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The NLEX C-5 Link, also known as Segment 8.2, will connect NLEX and C-5 through Mindanao and Republic Avenue.
The project aims to reduce travel time from Mindanao Avenue to Commonwealth from 45 to 10 minutes and will cut through seven Quezon City barangays and one barangay in Valenzuela.
Based on a census by the National Housing Authority (NHA), a total of 18,000 families will be affected by the construction, 60 percent of which are residents of Barangays Talipapa, Pasong Tamo, Culiat, and Sauyo in District 6.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/11/12/qc-manila-north-tollways-corp-agree-to-work-together-to-address-traffic-caused-by-nlex-c-5-link-project/
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
House panel wants in-city relocation for 18k informal settlers along QC's Segment 8.2
The National Housing Authority have made 1,000 relocation units available, but they are in Bulacan
Quezon City representatives, councilors, and other stakeholders pushed for on-site, in-city relocation for the 18,000 informal settler families (ISFs) that will be affected by the construction of the Segment 8.2.
During a hearing of the House committee on Metro Manila development on Tuesday, November 12, the North Luzon Expressway-C5 North Link project, or Segment 8.2, was discussed with regard to the issue of relocating ISFs, since the construction will affect 8 barangays in Quezon City.
The Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) said it can build around 2,500 to 9,400 units for the informal settlers, depending on the number of levels that will be built. The design has yet to be discussed with stakeholders.
When asked of their plans for the informal settlers, the National Housing Authority (NHA) said the 1,000 units they have made available for the ISFs are outside Quezon City. The units are located in Bulacan, in the municipalities of Norzagaray and Pandi.
Manila 1st District Representative and committee chairperson Manuel Lopez responded that off-city relocation has been proven to be ineffective in the past. NHA National Capital Region manager Emma Angeles said these locations were picked by ISFs themselves because they wanted houses and lots, whereas the area provided by the MPTC only allowed for mid- to high-rise buildings.
Quezon City 6th District Representative Kit Belmonte acknowledged that while some ISFs may prefer to be relocated outside the city, it is more important to allow the local government and other stakeholders to have a role in making the decisions.
Luz Savilla, representing the ISFs in Barangay Bagbag and Barangay Sauyo in Quezon City, said the families had not been provided a list of entitlements, census claims, and beneficiary selections from the NHA, as well as details of the proposed relocation site. They also asked to participate in the design of the housing.
But most importantly, they pushed for in-city relocation. "Mas mabubuhay kami sa mataas na building kaysa sa malayo," Savilla said. (We will survive better in a high-rise building than in a housing that's far away [from economic centers].)
For the Quezon City government's part, District 6 Councilor Marivic Co-Pilar asked if the funds for housing could be transferred to the city government instead. Public Works Director for Public-Private Partnership Alex Bote said the department has had no experience in doing so.
Savilla said they would prefer to have the city government handle the relocation, since their vision for in-city relocation is aligned with what the ISFs want.
Earlier, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte pushed for a township initiative that would accommodate ISFs, which will be located within the city. She also formed a task force that would address the relocation of the 18,000 informal settlers along the construction site.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/244702-house-panel-wants-city-relocation-isfs-nlex-segment-8-2
Quezon City representatives, councilors, and other stakeholders pushed for on-site, in-city relocation for the 18,000 informal settler families (ISFs) that will be affected by the construction of the Segment 8.2.
During a hearing of the House committee on Metro Manila development on Tuesday, November 12, the North Luzon Expressway-C5 North Link project, or Segment 8.2, was discussed with regard to the issue of relocating ISFs, since the construction will affect 8 barangays in Quezon City.
The Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) said it can build around 2,500 to 9,400 units for the informal settlers, depending on the number of levels that will be built. The design has yet to be discussed with stakeholders.
When asked of their plans for the informal settlers, the National Housing Authority (NHA) said the 1,000 units they have made available for the ISFs are outside Quezon City. The units are located in Bulacan, in the municipalities of Norzagaray and Pandi.
Manila 1st District Representative and committee chairperson Manuel Lopez responded that off-city relocation has been proven to be ineffective in the past. NHA National Capital Region manager Emma Angeles said these locations were picked by ISFs themselves because they wanted houses and lots, whereas the area provided by the MPTC only allowed for mid- to high-rise buildings.
Quezon City 6th District Representative Kit Belmonte acknowledged that while some ISFs may prefer to be relocated outside the city, it is more important to allow the local government and other stakeholders to have a role in making the decisions.
Luz Savilla, representing the ISFs in Barangay Bagbag and Barangay Sauyo in Quezon City, said the families had not been provided a list of entitlements, census claims, and beneficiary selections from the NHA, as well as details of the proposed relocation site. They also asked to participate in the design of the housing.
But most importantly, they pushed for in-city relocation. "Mas mabubuhay kami sa mataas na building kaysa sa malayo," Savilla said. (We will survive better in a high-rise building than in a housing that's far away [from economic centers].)
For the Quezon City government's part, District 6 Councilor Marivic Co-Pilar asked if the funds for housing could be transferred to the city government instead. Public Works Director for Public-Private Partnership Alex Bote said the department has had no experience in doing so.
Savilla said they would prefer to have the city government handle the relocation, since their vision for in-city relocation is aligned with what the ISFs want.
Earlier, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte pushed for a township initiative that would accommodate ISFs, which will be located within the city. She also formed a task force that would address the relocation of the 18,000 informal settlers along the construction site.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/244702-house-panel-wants-city-relocation-isfs-nlex-segment-8-2
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Bungled rights-of-way delaying rail works
Hail to commercial ship captain Manolo Ebora. As others bow to China’s naval piracy, he insisted as international mariner on his right of innocent passage in Panatag Shoal. Commanding a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, Ebora stuck to his straight path in Panatag waters despite three Chinese warships ordering him away. Two of them cut across his bow in attempts to head him off. But Ebora, voyaging from Thailand to China with 21 Filipino crewmen, replied that he was only passing through and in fact knew the waters to be Philippine.
Panatag, 123 miles off Luzon, is within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone and, 650 miles distant, well beyond China’s. Beijing illegally has been blockading it since 2012 under a bully “nine-dash line” that treats South China Sea as an internal lake. Citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, The Hague arbitral court outlawed Beijing’s claim in 2016. Defying world law, Chinese gunboats escort to Panatag poachers of fish, giant clams, and fan corals. China’s navy abets militia fishers in other countries’ EEZs. Manila exercised territoriality over the shoal since Spanish and American rules; the Republic allowed foreign commerce free navigation.
* * *
What do LRT-1, MRT-7, Mindanao Railway, and Metro Manila Subway have in common? All have bungled site acquisitions. Haphazardness has delayed the government’s rail works.
LRT-1’s extension from Baclaran, Metro Manila, to Bacoor, Cavite, 11.7 km, is six years late. In a ceremonial groundbreaking in Apr. 2013 the then-President famously said if it wasn’t finished in two years, then he and his transport secretary should be run over by trains. But in signing away the construction to a private consortium, transport bureaucrats overlooked a crucial detail. They had altered the original alignment and so must first acquire rights-of-way along the new one. Failing to do that by Oct. 2015, government fell in default, for which it must pay the contractor P4.5 billion, plus daily interest. “Its transaction advisor did not do homework,” recalled Engr. Rene Santiago, president at the time of the Transport Science Society of the Philippines. Government already had spent billions of pesos to expropriate land and relocate homeowners. “That was as far back as 2003-2005 when the LRT-1 extension was first planned.”
In 2016 the present Dept. of Transport inherited and continued the botched project. Several press releases till May 2019 claimed that “LRT-1 extension is full steam ahead.” Last month constructors finally prepared to lay down the pylons. Yet government had yet to acquire 18 private lots and clear obstructing water, power, and telecom lines.
MRT-7, 22 km from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, to North Avenue-EDSA, Quezon City, is two years behind schedule. “So many right-of-way problems,” builder San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang told The STAR last June. “Roads are too narrow.” DOTr’s alignment foul-up moved back the completion to 2022. Worse was a nine-fold increase in acquisition price of 33.2 hectares in Del Monte for the end station-depot. Since the land revaluation affects the project cost, the National Economic and Development Authority must review it. That can take a year. Still Ang is striving to get half the rail line operating, North EDSA to Fairview, QC, by 2021.
Mindanao Railway Phase 1 – eight stations in Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Davao del Sur – was redesigned last minute. Planners shifted to twin from single track, electric from diesel power, and 102-km ground level to 100-km with elevated portions and aqueduct. Rushed realignments drew resistance from middle-class homeowners. Last Feb.’s groundbreaking was postponed indefinitely. Monteritz Classic Estates sought review of the overrun of 40 homes and 67 lots, BusinessWorld reported in May. So did South Pacific Gold and Leisure Estates of the railway cutting through the fairway and clubhouse on which residents had invested. Scoffing at property owners’ rights, DOTr said they should put development above personal concern. Earlier Maria Lourdes Monteverde, ex-president of Davao City’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chided DOTr’s unclear project vision. Property owners were left in limbo about just compensation, so could not move on, she told MindaNews in Jan. Transport Sec. Arthur Tugade wants partial operation of Tagum-Davao City-Digos circuit by 2022, President Rody Duterte’s term end. The first rail track has yet to be laid down.
Metro Manila Subway, 15 stations over 36 km in Quezon City to Taguig, faces similar uncertainty. Work on the first three stations in QC is to start in Jan. 2020, delayed from last Feb. and this Nov. Tugade wants the three running also by 2022. Yet Usec. for rails Timothy Batan told a QC council hearing last month that lands have yet to be purchased. Only 150 of 400 lot owners have agreed to give way to the proposed depot, and only 20 percent of residential to the Tandang Sora station. Four councilors sought restoration of the original alignment of six stations beneath EDSA instead of the new route via Katipunan where five gated subdivisions lie. Councilor Winston Castelo said the original EDSA route would serve more commuters, skirt the West Valley earthquake fault, and be acceptable to home and shop owners. Less costly too: only P208 billion instead of P357 billion. Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr. worried about the subway’s continuity beyond Duterte’s tenure, as shoddy right-of-way planning could doom it.
In Parañaque residents of five villages are opposing a previously unannounced Bicutan station one km from Food Terminal Inc.-Taguig terminal. Notified only last July by DOTr consultants of expropriation, they demanded city council public hearing as required in the Local Government Code. Vice Mayor Rico Golez held a forum with Councilors Giovanni Esplana, Edwin Benzon, Viktor Sotto, and Pablo Gabriel Jr. Residents led by Barangay San Martin de Porres chairman Michael Thor Singson pointed to three nearby government lots as alternative station site. DOTr itself owns one of the lots. Its policy is to build stations as much as possible on or beside government property to minimize human dislocation. Encroachment in residential zones showed slipshod design.
* * *
Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).
Gotcha archives: www.philstar.com/columns/134276/gotcha
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/11/06/1966302/bungled-rights-way-delaying-rail-works
Panatag, 123 miles off Luzon, is within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone and, 650 miles distant, well beyond China’s. Beijing illegally has been blockading it since 2012 under a bully “nine-dash line” that treats South China Sea as an internal lake. Citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, The Hague arbitral court outlawed Beijing’s claim in 2016. Defying world law, Chinese gunboats escort to Panatag poachers of fish, giant clams, and fan corals. China’s navy abets militia fishers in other countries’ EEZs. Manila exercised territoriality over the shoal since Spanish and American rules; the Republic allowed foreign commerce free navigation.
* * *
What do LRT-1, MRT-7, Mindanao Railway, and Metro Manila Subway have in common? All have bungled site acquisitions. Haphazardness has delayed the government’s rail works.
LRT-1’s extension from Baclaran, Metro Manila, to Bacoor, Cavite, 11.7 km, is six years late. In a ceremonial groundbreaking in Apr. 2013 the then-President famously said if it wasn’t finished in two years, then he and his transport secretary should be run over by trains. But in signing away the construction to a private consortium, transport bureaucrats overlooked a crucial detail. They had altered the original alignment and so must first acquire rights-of-way along the new one. Failing to do that by Oct. 2015, government fell in default, for which it must pay the contractor P4.5 billion, plus daily interest. “Its transaction advisor did not do homework,” recalled Engr. Rene Santiago, president at the time of the Transport Science Society of the Philippines. Government already had spent billions of pesos to expropriate land and relocate homeowners. “That was as far back as 2003-2005 when the LRT-1 extension was first planned.”
In 2016 the present Dept. of Transport inherited and continued the botched project. Several press releases till May 2019 claimed that “LRT-1 extension is full steam ahead.” Last month constructors finally prepared to lay down the pylons. Yet government had yet to acquire 18 private lots and clear obstructing water, power, and telecom lines.
MRT-7, 22 km from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, to North Avenue-EDSA, Quezon City, is two years behind schedule. “So many right-of-way problems,” builder San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang told The STAR last June. “Roads are too narrow.” DOTr’s alignment foul-up moved back the completion to 2022. Worse was a nine-fold increase in acquisition price of 33.2 hectares in Del Monte for the end station-depot. Since the land revaluation affects the project cost, the National Economic and Development Authority must review it. That can take a year. Still Ang is striving to get half the rail line operating, North EDSA to Fairview, QC, by 2021.
Mindanao Railway Phase 1 – eight stations in Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Davao del Sur – was redesigned last minute. Planners shifted to twin from single track, electric from diesel power, and 102-km ground level to 100-km with elevated portions and aqueduct. Rushed realignments drew resistance from middle-class homeowners. Last Feb.’s groundbreaking was postponed indefinitely. Monteritz Classic Estates sought review of the overrun of 40 homes and 67 lots, BusinessWorld reported in May. So did South Pacific Gold and Leisure Estates of the railway cutting through the fairway and clubhouse on which residents had invested. Scoffing at property owners’ rights, DOTr said they should put development above personal concern. Earlier Maria Lourdes Monteverde, ex-president of Davao City’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chided DOTr’s unclear project vision. Property owners were left in limbo about just compensation, so could not move on, she told MindaNews in Jan. Transport Sec. Arthur Tugade wants partial operation of Tagum-Davao City-Digos circuit by 2022, President Rody Duterte’s term end. The first rail track has yet to be laid down.
Metro Manila Subway, 15 stations over 36 km in Quezon City to Taguig, faces similar uncertainty. Work on the first three stations in QC is to start in Jan. 2020, delayed from last Feb. and this Nov. Tugade wants the three running also by 2022. Yet Usec. for rails Timothy Batan told a QC council hearing last month that lands have yet to be purchased. Only 150 of 400 lot owners have agreed to give way to the proposed depot, and only 20 percent of residential to the Tandang Sora station. Four councilors sought restoration of the original alignment of six stations beneath EDSA instead of the new route via Katipunan where five gated subdivisions lie. Councilor Winston Castelo said the original EDSA route would serve more commuters, skirt the West Valley earthquake fault, and be acceptable to home and shop owners. Less costly too: only P208 billion instead of P357 billion. Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr. worried about the subway’s continuity beyond Duterte’s tenure, as shoddy right-of-way planning could doom it.
In Parañaque residents of five villages are opposing a previously unannounced Bicutan station one km from Food Terminal Inc.-Taguig terminal. Notified only last July by DOTr consultants of expropriation, they demanded city council public hearing as required in the Local Government Code. Vice Mayor Rico Golez held a forum with Councilors Giovanni Esplana, Edwin Benzon, Viktor Sotto, and Pablo Gabriel Jr. Residents led by Barangay San Martin de Porres chairman Michael Thor Singson pointed to three nearby government lots as alternative station site. DOTr itself owns one of the lots. Its policy is to build stations as much as possible on or beside government property to minimize human dislocation. Encroachment in residential zones showed slipshod design.
* * *
Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).
Gotcha archives: www.philstar.com/columns/134276/gotcha
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/11/06/1966302/bungled-rights-way-delaying-rail-works
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Villar inspects NLEX Connector construction site
The construction of the integrated and all-elevated expressway connection between the North and South Luzon expressways has started, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday.
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar inspected the NLEX Connector construction site along the Philippine National Railways tracks in Caloocan City together with officials of NLEX Corporation and construction company D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI).
Earlier, NLEX Corp. formally awarded the main works contract to DMCI for the first five-kilometer section of the NLEX connector road from Grace Park, Caloocan City to España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila.
Spanning a total of eight kilometers, the full NLEX Connector will be an all-weather, all vehicle class elevated expressway that will traverse the new Caloocan Interchange in 5th Avenue/C3 Road in Caloocan City, pass through España and eventually link up with the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at PUP Sta. Mesa in Manila.
Villar was also present during the formal awarding of the main civil works contract to DMCI together with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) president and chief executive officer Rodrigo E. Franco, NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, NLEX Corporation chief operating officer (COO) Raul L. Ignacio, DMCI president and CEO Jorge A. Consunji, DMCI associate managing director Christopher R. Rodriguez, and DMCI senior vice president for business strategy and development, Rebecca E. Civil.
The contract covers the main civil works for the Caloocan-España section.
The NLEX Connector will continue the NLEX southward from NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 from the new Caloocan Interchange.
The project will utilize portions of the existing right-of-way (ROW) of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).
The PNR's ROW will be shared by the NLEX Connector project and the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR), currently also under construction.
Around 35,000 motorists, especially cargo trucks, who are expected to benefit from the project, will be spared using Metro Manila’s congested city roads since they will traverse their routes mostly above the PNR alignment.
Just before the awarding, Villar visited the project site and urged the fast-tracking of the turnover of the ROW.
“We are committed to accelerating the ROW acquisition in order to build traffic solutions for our motorists,” he said in a statement.
The new Caloocan Interchange will serve as a strategic converging point for the 5.65-kilometer NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the 2.6-kilometer R-10 section, and the eight-kilometer NLEX Connector.
Since its groundbreaking witnessed by President Rodrigo Duterte last February 28, several constructions have been achieved and the engineering works have progressed.
“Upon full completion in 2021, the NLEX Connector will significantly cut travel time from NLEX to SLEX by at least 60 percent. Instead of the usual two hours, travel time will now be reduced to about 20 minutes,” Villar said.
"Likewise, it will provide improved accessibility for cargo trucks bound for the Manila Ports (North and South Harbor) and the international airports such as NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) and Clark,” he added.
For his part, Bautista is confident that their team including their contractor, and government partners will work together to deliver high-quality elevated expressway.
“We are looking forward to provide further convenience to our motorists as the NLEX Connector aims to decongest major thoroughfares such Edsa and C5,” he said.
Aside from providing a solution to traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the NLEX Connector is also expected to stimulate economic development in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon and Navotas, as well as its surrounding areas.
The NLEX Connector is one of the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects awarded by the Duterte administration in 2016.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1085091
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar inspected the NLEX Connector construction site along the Philippine National Railways tracks in Caloocan City together with officials of NLEX Corporation and construction company D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI).
Earlier, NLEX Corp. formally awarded the main works contract to DMCI for the first five-kilometer section of the NLEX connector road from Grace Park, Caloocan City to España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila.
Spanning a total of eight kilometers, the full NLEX Connector will be an all-weather, all vehicle class elevated expressway that will traverse the new Caloocan Interchange in 5th Avenue/C3 Road in Caloocan City, pass through España and eventually link up with the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at PUP Sta. Mesa in Manila.
Villar was also present during the formal awarding of the main civil works contract to DMCI together with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) president and chief executive officer Rodrigo E. Franco, NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, NLEX Corporation chief operating officer (COO) Raul L. Ignacio, DMCI president and CEO Jorge A. Consunji, DMCI associate managing director Christopher R. Rodriguez, and DMCI senior vice president for business strategy and development, Rebecca E. Civil.
The contract covers the main civil works for the Caloocan-España section.
The NLEX Connector will continue the NLEX southward from NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 from the new Caloocan Interchange.
The project will utilize portions of the existing right-of-way (ROW) of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).
The PNR's ROW will be shared by the NLEX Connector project and the North South Commuter Railway (NSCR), currently also under construction.
Around 35,000 motorists, especially cargo trucks, who are expected to benefit from the project, will be spared using Metro Manila’s congested city roads since they will traverse their routes mostly above the PNR alignment.
Just before the awarding, Villar visited the project site and urged the fast-tracking of the turnover of the ROW.
“We are committed to accelerating the ROW acquisition in order to build traffic solutions for our motorists,” he said in a statement.
The new Caloocan Interchange will serve as a strategic converging point for the 5.65-kilometer NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the 2.6-kilometer R-10 section, and the eight-kilometer NLEX Connector.
Since its groundbreaking witnessed by President Rodrigo Duterte last February 28, several constructions have been achieved and the engineering works have progressed.
“Upon full completion in 2021, the NLEX Connector will significantly cut travel time from NLEX to SLEX by at least 60 percent. Instead of the usual two hours, travel time will now be reduced to about 20 minutes,” Villar said.
"Likewise, it will provide improved accessibility for cargo trucks bound for the Manila Ports (North and South Harbor) and the international airports such as NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) and Clark,” he added.
For his part, Bautista is confident that their team including their contractor, and government partners will work together to deliver high-quality elevated expressway.
“We are looking forward to provide further convenience to our motorists as the NLEX Connector aims to decongest major thoroughfares such Edsa and C5,” he said.
Aside from providing a solution to traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the NLEX Connector is also expected to stimulate economic development in Manila, Caloocan, Malabon and Navotas, as well as its surrounding areas.
The NLEX Connector is one of the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects awarded by the Duterte administration in 2016.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1085091
NLEx Corp. awards P8-B Phase 1 connector road to DMCI
NLEx Corp. on Tuesday awarded to D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) the first phase of an elevated toll road connecting the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) to South Luzon Expressway.
The P8-billion contract to build the first five kilometers of the NLEx Connector project was handed to DMCI during a site inspection at Grace Park in Caloocan City.
Phase 1 of the project will connect NLEx from the Caloocan Interchange to España Boulevard.
“The actual work on the ground, for the first four or five [kilometers] would be towards the end of November,” NLEx Corp. president Luigi Bautista said.
The first section of the NLEx Connector project is targeted to be completed within 20 months.
The entire elevated road project spans eight kilometers, traversing the Caloocan Interchange along 5th Avenue through to España. It will eventually link with the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The tender offer for the procurement process covering the second phase from España to PUP Sta. Mesa will start next month, Bautista said.
“Towards the end of March next year we should be able to appoint already a contractor for Section 2,” he said.
Section 2 is targeted to be completed in 18 months, he added.
The project will use portions of the existing right-of-way of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).
“Upon full completion in 2021, the NLEx Connector will significantly cut travel time from NLEx to SLEx by at least sixty percent. Instead of the usual two hours, travel time will now be reduced to about 20 minutes,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.
“It will also provide accessibility for cargo trucks bound for Manila ports and the international airports such as NAIA and Clark,” the Cabinet official added. —VDS, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/714225/nlex-corp-awards-p8-b-phase-1-connector-road-to-dmci/story/
The P8-billion contract to build the first five kilometers of the NLEx Connector project was handed to DMCI during a site inspection at Grace Park in Caloocan City.
Phase 1 of the project will connect NLEx from the Caloocan Interchange to España Boulevard.
“The actual work on the ground, for the first four or five [kilometers] would be towards the end of November,” NLEx Corp. president Luigi Bautista said.
The first section of the NLEx Connector project is targeted to be completed within 20 months.
The entire elevated road project spans eight kilometers, traversing the Caloocan Interchange along 5th Avenue through to España. It will eventually link with the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The tender offer for the procurement process covering the second phase from España to PUP Sta. Mesa will start next month, Bautista said.
“Towards the end of March next year we should be able to appoint already a contractor for Section 2,” he said.
Section 2 is targeted to be completed in 18 months, he added.
The project will use portions of the existing right-of-way of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).
“Upon full completion in 2021, the NLEx Connector will significantly cut travel time from NLEx to SLEx by at least sixty percent. Instead of the usual two hours, travel time will now be reduced to about 20 minutes,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.
“It will also provide accessibility for cargo trucks bound for Manila ports and the international airports such as NAIA and Clark,” the Cabinet official added. —VDS, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/714225/nlex-corp-awards-p8-b-phase-1-connector-road-to-dmci/story/
DMCI bags deal to build NLEX-SLEX link road
NLEX Corp. said it tapped D.M. Consunji Inc. to build the first section of the P23.3-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project.
NLEX president and general manager Luigi Bautista said the company appointed DMCI as the contractor for the NLEX Connector Road Project Section 1.
NLEX Section 1 is a 5-kilometer road that runs from Caloocan connecting to C3 all the way to España Boulevard in Manila.
“Next week, we will sign the contract and then the first bored pile that will be executed will be second week of November. So between today and the second week of November, DMCI will start preparing for mobilization,” Bautista said.
The project will be completed in 20 months.
The P23.3-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road is an eight-kilometer elevated four-lane expressway extending NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 on C3 Road Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila and connecting to Skyway Stage 3 by mostly traversing the PNR rail track.
The project includes two interchanges at C3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan and España in Manila.
Once completed by 2021, the project will reduce travel time from SLEX to NLEX from two hours to just 20 minutes. Some 35,000 motorists are expected to use the project.
It will also reduce the travel time from Clark in Pampaga to Calamba, Laguna from about three hours to one hour and 40 minutes.
The company earlier posted a net profit of P3.03 billion from January to June, up from P2.85 billion in the same period last year.
Consolidated net revenues increased 11 percent in the six-month period to P7.44 billion from P6.68 billion in the same period last year.
NLEX attributed the growth in net income to the higher traffic volume in NLEX and SCTEX and incremental toll revenues arising from the toll adjustments that took effect on March 21 for NLEX and June 14 for SCTEX.
Average daily traffic at NLEX reached 268,222 daily vehicle entries, up by 5.3 percent from the same period last year, while average daily traffic in SCTEX reached 70,809, higher by 12.2 percent than the previous year.
http://www.manilastandard.net/index.php/business/corporate/308606/dmci-bags-deal-to-build-nlex-slex-link-road.html
NLEX president and general manager Luigi Bautista said the company appointed DMCI as the contractor for the NLEX Connector Road Project Section 1.
NLEX Section 1 is a 5-kilometer road that runs from Caloocan connecting to C3 all the way to España Boulevard in Manila.
“Next week, we will sign the contract and then the first bored pile that will be executed will be second week of November. So between today and the second week of November, DMCI will start preparing for mobilization,” Bautista said.
The project will be completed in 20 months.
The P23.3-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road is an eight-kilometer elevated four-lane expressway extending NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 on C3 Road Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila and connecting to Skyway Stage 3 by mostly traversing the PNR rail track.
The project includes two interchanges at C3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan and España in Manila.
Once completed by 2021, the project will reduce travel time from SLEX to NLEX from two hours to just 20 minutes. Some 35,000 motorists are expected to use the project.
It will also reduce the travel time from Clark in Pampaga to Calamba, Laguna from about three hours to one hour and 40 minutes.
The company earlier posted a net profit of P3.03 billion from January to June, up from P2.85 billion in the same period last year.
Consolidated net revenues increased 11 percent in the six-month period to P7.44 billion from P6.68 billion in the same period last year.
NLEX attributed the growth in net income to the higher traffic volume in NLEX and SCTEX and incremental toll revenues arising from the toll adjustments that took effect on March 21 for NLEX and June 14 for SCTEX.
Average daily traffic at NLEX reached 268,222 daily vehicle entries, up by 5.3 percent from the same period last year, while average daily traffic in SCTEX reached 70,809, higher by 12.2 percent than the previous year.
http://www.manilastandard.net/index.php/business/corporate/308606/dmci-bags-deal-to-build-nlex-slex-link-road.html
Friday, November 1, 2019
Parañaque infrastructure projects to rise in Baclaran area
By Dhel Nazario
The P150 million Baclaran Gateway and People’s Market (BGPM) along with the LRT-1 construction of the Redemptorists Station to the existing LRT1 Baclaran Station in Parañaque City will have its groundbreaking by November, a ranking city official disclosed Thursday.
The new people’s market will be the permanent home for about 2,000 illegal Baclaran vendors who has been a problem for more than 50 years.
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez revealed that the construction of BGPM will be funded fully by the city government after they turned-down the private-public-partnership proposal of a private construction firm for the project.
Olivarez said the multi-level people’s market building will be built on a one-hectare vacant land along Roxas Boulevard fronting the historic Redemptorists Church in Baclaran.
The mayor said the planned BGPM which will be built using 60 x 300 meters of “cement slab” placed on top of canals along the service road of Roxas Boulevard.
A loading and unloading zone, overhead pedestrian crossing, and an LRT terminal station will also be built in the area to help buyers and the vendors. Parking lots will also be constructed at the proposed market, which is expected to be in full operation by the last quarter next year.
“All of our vendors in the people’s market will be permanent and legal since they will pay their respective business permits annually. These will be an additional income for the city coffers,” Olivarez pointed out.
He said the people’s market project has the backing of President Duterte and has been approved recently by the Metro Manila Council (MMC), as well as the Metro Manila Development Authority. Olivarez is presently the president of the MMC.
While awaiting the construction of the facility, the city government will install tents along Roxas Boulevard, where the sidewalk vendors can sell their goods. Some 2,000 Baclaran vendors were recently displaced in the side walk clearing operations in the city.
City administrator Ding Soriano said the tents would provide 2 square meters of space for each vendor.
Soriano is also appealing to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade if the other displaced vendors can be transferred to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) for the meantime.
The facility will help the public have an easy access to the LRT 1 Cavite Extension 1 project. The P64.9-billion LRT-1 extension project will extend trips from Baclaran Station to the future Niyog Station in Bacoor City, Cavite.
Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), operator of LRT-1, said 90 percent of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project has been acquired. The first phase of the extension consists of a 7 km stretch with five stations between the Redemptorist Church area in Baclaran and Dr. Santos Ave. in Parañaque.
Dr. Santos Station is part of the 7-kilometer Phase 1 of the 11-kilometer LRT-1 extension. Phase 1 includes 5 stations out of the total eight.
Asiaworld Station will be built right beside the PITX and eventually connected to the planned Metro Manila Subway, forming the Parañaque Common Station.
Requiring a total of 203 piers, construction of the first 67 piers started on September 1 from Dr. Santos Station to Ninoy Aquino Station. Forty piers from Ninoy Aquino Station to Asiaworld Station and 22 piers from Redemptorist Station to the existing LRT-1 Baclaran Station will begin construction next month.
The government aims for Phase 1 to begin operations in the 4th quarter of 2021. Full operations all the way to Niyog in Bacoor City, are being targeted for 2022.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/10/31/paranaque-infrastructure-projects-to-rise-in-baclaran-area/
The P150 million Baclaran Gateway and People’s Market (BGPM) along with the LRT-1 construction of the Redemptorists Station to the existing LRT1 Baclaran Station in Parañaque City will have its groundbreaking by November, a ranking city official disclosed Thursday.
The new people’s market will be the permanent home for about 2,000 illegal Baclaran vendors who has been a problem for more than 50 years.
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez revealed that the construction of BGPM will be funded fully by the city government after they turned-down the private-public-partnership proposal of a private construction firm for the project.
Olivarez said the multi-level people’s market building will be built on a one-hectare vacant land along Roxas Boulevard fronting the historic Redemptorists Church in Baclaran.
The mayor said the planned BGPM which will be built using 60 x 300 meters of “cement slab” placed on top of canals along the service road of Roxas Boulevard.
A loading and unloading zone, overhead pedestrian crossing, and an LRT terminal station will also be built in the area to help buyers and the vendors. Parking lots will also be constructed at the proposed market, which is expected to be in full operation by the last quarter next year.
“All of our vendors in the people’s market will be permanent and legal since they will pay their respective business permits annually. These will be an additional income for the city coffers,” Olivarez pointed out.
He said the people’s market project has the backing of President Duterte and has been approved recently by the Metro Manila Council (MMC), as well as the Metro Manila Development Authority. Olivarez is presently the president of the MMC.
While awaiting the construction of the facility, the city government will install tents along Roxas Boulevard, where the sidewalk vendors can sell their goods. Some 2,000 Baclaran vendors were recently displaced in the side walk clearing operations in the city.
City administrator Ding Soriano said the tents would provide 2 square meters of space for each vendor.
Soriano is also appealing to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade if the other displaced vendors can be transferred to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) for the meantime.
The facility will help the public have an easy access to the LRT 1 Cavite Extension 1 project. The P64.9-billion LRT-1 extension project will extend trips from Baclaran Station to the future Niyog Station in Bacoor City, Cavite.
Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), operator of LRT-1, said 90 percent of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project has been acquired. The first phase of the extension consists of a 7 km stretch with five stations between the Redemptorist Church area in Baclaran and Dr. Santos Ave. in Parañaque.
Dr. Santos Station is part of the 7-kilometer Phase 1 of the 11-kilometer LRT-1 extension. Phase 1 includes 5 stations out of the total eight.
Asiaworld Station will be built right beside the PITX and eventually connected to the planned Metro Manila Subway, forming the Parañaque Common Station.
Requiring a total of 203 piers, construction of the first 67 piers started on September 1 from Dr. Santos Station to Ninoy Aquino Station. Forty piers from Ninoy Aquino Station to Asiaworld Station and 22 piers from Redemptorist Station to the existing LRT-1 Baclaran Station will begin construction next month.
The government aims for Phase 1 to begin operations in the 4th quarter of 2021. Full operations all the way to Niyog in Bacoor City, are being targeted for 2022.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/10/31/paranaque-infrastructure-projects-to-rise-in-baclaran-area/
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