Thursday, September 30, 2021
DOTr, Spanish design firm to sign P1.4-B MRT-4 contract
By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
A rail system linking the province of Rizal with the eastern part of Metro Manila is nearing reality as the signing of a contract between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Spain-based design firm IDOM Consulting Engineering, Architecture, SA (IDOM) is set to happen on Friday.
In a Viber message to reporters on Friday, the DOTr said the design contract of the rail project, to be dubbed the Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT-4), will have a total cost of around USD28.967 million (around PHP1.4 billion).
The DOTr, in a press release, said IDOM initially received the Notice of Award for the project on Sept. 17.
The firm will be tasked as the “detailed architectural and engineering design consultant” of the project and will prepare the MRT-4’s preliminary design, detailed engineering and tender designs, the loan processing documents, financial and economical assessments, the project/loan safeguards documents, and bidding documents.
“Under the agreement, IDOM is also tasked to determine the proper mode of transportation along the alignment and provide the methodology on ridership validation,” the DOTr said.
The project, to be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and public-private partnership (PPP), is a proposed mass-transit railway system that will cut across the cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and municipalities of Cainta and Taytay in Rizal to address the “massive traffic problem and limited road capacities” in the area.
Once operational, it said the MRT-4 is seen to boost “employment opportunities, livelihood, and business opportunities” in its covered areas.
The project’s design stage, it said, is slated to begin in the last quarter of 2021 while early works for the project are set to begin by the second quarter of 2022.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Monday, September 27, 2021
NSCR Extension Project starts construction
Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiro joined the Department of Transportation (DoTr) Undersecretary Timothy John Batan and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director General Ramesh Subramaniam at the joint site inspection for the extension of the ongoing Japan-funded North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project which runs from Malolos, Bulacan to Tutuban.
Held at the site of Clark International Airport Station in Mabalacat, Pampanga, the September 18 ceremony marked the start of construction for the NSCR Extension Project (NSCR-Ex).
Jointly financed by the ADB and the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), there will be two extension lines to strengthen the Philippines' mass transport network and expand the economic sphere of Metro Manila, alleviating traffic congestion, improving the investment environment, and mitigating the effects of air pollution and climate change. The 51-km north extension will run from Malolos to Clark International Airport, while the 55-km south extension will run from Solis, Manila to Calamba, Laguna.
The project will utilize the Japanese railway system that uses energy-efficient and reliable trains. The technical aspects will also complement the ongoing NSCR Malolos to Tutuban Project that adopts Japanese technology on flood-resilient and anti-seismic design to withstand earthquakes. The Official Development Assistance yen loan of Jica will be allocated for the procurement of rolling stock and railway system as well as consulting services, while the ADB loan funds will be allocated to civil works.
The NSCR-Ex Project is one of the key infrastructure projects supported by Japan under the Philippine government's Build, Build, Build program. The government of Japan has been supporting the Philippines' railway sector for many years now, including the expansion of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 to Cavite, recently completed extension of LRT Line 2 to Masinag, Antipolo under the Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit Systems in Metro Manila Project, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 Rehabilitation projects, in addition to the Metro Manila Subway.