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
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
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
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