San Miguel set to begin construction of C6 expressway

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) on Monday said it is set to begin construction of a new expressway that will connect Taguig City to Quezon City.

The first phase of the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) or C6 will span 34 kilometers from Skyway/FTI to Batasan Complex, SMC said.

"We're very glad to be starting 2018 on a very positive note. Because of the hard work of our partners in government, we will finally be able to proceed with this vital infrastructure project," SMC President Ramon S. Ang said.

It is expected to ease traffic congestion in major thoroughfares including EDSA, C-5, Ortigas Avenue and Ortigas Extension while “providing commuters from Metro Manila and the south faster and direct access to the country’s major airport,” SMC said.

On Monday, SMC, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) led the groundbreaking for Section 1, Phase 1 of the project.

SMC’s unit Citra Intercity Tollways, Inc. will handle the project, which is expected to be completed by 2020. 

JICA declares start of clearing operations of North-South Commuter Railway

The advance site clearing works that will expedite succeeding construction of the Philippines’ new railway network North-South Commuter Railway project (NSCR) is now a go, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said in a statement.

“We will continue supporting the Philippine government’s efforts to ensure that the future generation reaps the benefit of an integrated, seamless, and resilient transport infrastructure system through the NSCR project,“ said JICA chief representative Susumu Ito during the ceremony declaring the start of the clearing operations said over the weekend.

Last year, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) officially marked the railway stations in Marilao and Meycauayan in Bulacan, and Valenzuela, Caloocan and Tutuban in Metro Manila.

Shortly after the marking of the stations, the DOTr awarded the contract of the construction supervision consulting services for the project to NS Tren, a consortium led by Tokyo-based Oriental Consultants Global.

JICA also confirmed that contractors will be paid using the Japanese loan.

The DOTr has also partnered with local government units (LGUs) to address right-of-way acquisitions so the construction can begin on time.

Ito said the start of work includes clearing the site, grading of unleveled surfaces and demolition of obstructing structures of the NSCR, a 38-kilometer railway.

Along with the Metro Manila Subway Project, NSCR is part of the mass transit backbone forming the North-South Corridor as specified in the Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development Study for Metro Manila and its surrounding areas.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) conducted the said study with the assistance of JICA.

JICA has also recently handed the detailed engineering design of the project to DOTr, signaling the project’s transition from planning to actual construction.

The JICA official reiterated that the project is a “game changer” in Philippine transport infrastructure, helping the country to kick-start the Duterte administration’s large-scale investments in modern railways.

The new railway will also use Japanese seismic designs to ensure commuter safety low and emission electric trains for sustainability.

The 3-billion dollar project aims for completion within the remaining years of the Duterte administration and is expected to reduce travel time from the traditional land travel of two hours to just merely 35 minutes from Malolos in Bulacan to Tutuban in Manila.

A promising year ahead

2016 was a good year to us, as we transitioned into a new administration. It was a year that brought about “change” in our country in many aspects. Came year 2017, we continued to adapt to these changes. It was a year filled with unexpected events that challenged our nation, such as the Maute terror attack, which led to the loss of many lives, displacement of many residents, damage to property, and the President’s declaration of Martial Law to the whole of Mindanao.

Despite these challenges, we stood as one nation and were able to end the year on a good note. The first package of the tax reform, also known as the “Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN),” and the 2018 national budget were finally signed by the President into law.

Many of us are wondering—how would our 2018 be? No one can really tell our nation’s fate right now; but at least we have good things to look forward to this year. With the implementation of TRAIN, workers earning P250,000 and below are exempted from paying personal income tax; hence, minimum wage earners can now enjoy their full earnings. The increased excise taxes on automobiles, tobacco, coal, and sugar-sweetened beverages will generate more revenue for the government to finance its “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure development program. The Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs were also given higher collection targets this year.

We also look forward to an improved collection efficiency of these agencies, as Department of Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez promised to strictly implement RA 9335, or the Lateral Attrition Law.

Similarly, we look forward to the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program. Starting this year, we would have to endure heavier traffic jams due to the construction of several roads and railways; but this is the bullet we have to bite if we want to harvest long-term results. We expect the completion of the construction of the MRT 7 and the MRT Common Station by 2019; so this year, we will have to be more patient about the less tolerable  metro traffic condition.

Before 2017 came to a close, the House Committee on Public Works and Highways approved two of my most important bills, which aim to improve road systems in the provinces to improve trade, and to provide the Filipino people better access to good paying jobs, and to provide for faster delivery of basic social services.  House Bill 599, or “An Act Mandating the Construction of the Quezon-Bicol Expressway,” will connect the South Luzon Expressway from Quezon to Sorsogon. I am hopeful that the Department of Public Works and Highways will be able to make significant progress on this project starting this year. I am also excited about the construction of the “Pacific Corridor,” as all Committee members agreed to co-sponsor my bill, House Bill 3883 or, “An Act Providing of the Construction of the Pacific Palisades Superhighway Connecting the Provinces of Bicol, Quezon, Aurora, Quirino, Isabela, and Cagayan.” The planning and execution of such an ambitious project is not easy, so I do not expect immediate results; but I hope the agency will soon take significant steps for the progress of this project.

The past two years of the Duterte government were also focused on the intensified campaign against illegal drugs. While we have seen significant improvement in the eradication of illegal drugs in the country, illegal drugs continued to proliferate. Hence, with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) leading this campaign, we expect that they would go after the big drug lords and dealers, and get to the real roots of this illegal drug problem.

We are also looking forward to the rehabilitation of the battle-scarred Marawi City, which according to Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairperson Eduardo del Rosario, will start by the second semester of 2018.

Before 2017 ended, Congress voted for the extension of the implementation of Martial Law to the whole of Mindanao for the entire year of 2018. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that, “remnants of (terror) groups continue to rebuild through recruitment, training and fundraising.” Furthermore, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea stated: “There is still a state of rebellion ready to explode anew at any time.” The Martial Law extension is aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the Filipino people.

The government should learn from its mistakes from the previous years. This 2018, it should cease its perpetual mistake of underspending, most especially because it was given a higher budget this year. I hope that the government agencies, as promised during the budget deliberations, will ensure the full utilization of their respective allocated budgets.

The government cannot do everything on its own. We too have a responsibility to fulfill. As Filipino people, let us help the government in reaching its goals for the benefit of our entire nation. Together, let’s move towards a better Philippines. Happy New Year!

New P12-b Cavite road eyed

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. said it is set to submit by February next year a proposal to the Toll Regulatory Board to build a P12-billion expressway linking Kawit and Rosario in Cavite province.

“We’re finishing up the feasibility study. We will complete it [feasibility study] January. And then, we will submit business proposal to TRB in February,” Cavitex president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

“If TRB approves it, we will start completing detailed engineering design and then we go to implementation,” he added.

The Segment 5 of Cavitex is a 7.6-kilometer road that will link Kawit to Noveleta and Noveleta to Rosario in Cavite.

The company earlier earmarked P1.7 billion in capital expenditures to expand the Manila-Cavite Expressway.

Cavitex earlier tapped FF Cruz Construction Inc. to construct the first phase of the Cavitex C5 South Link, which will connect C5 and Merville, Parañaque by way of a flyover.

The second phase will link Merville and Cavite and cost P9.5 billion.

Cavitex C5 South Link will allow residents from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque to avoid Edsa and take a direct link to and from C5 to Cavitex.

Bautista said the new expressway, which was expected to be completed in 2019, would add 40,000 to 45,000 vehicle traffic per day, on top of the 130,000 vehicles currently using Cavitex.

C5 South Link will ultimately connect with R1 Expressway (Coastal Road) and provide fast, safe and convenient travel for motorists going to and from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite and for Paranaque residents in Multinational, Moonwalk and Merville villages.

The new expressway will not only decongest the Parañaque villages, but will also provide easier travel from Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City and other northern areas to Manila, Las Piñas and Cavite.

It will also provide relief for vehicles using the congested Edsa and C5 Road arteries of the metropolis.

When completed, the expressway will provide a seamless connection to Cavitex road network and to Cavite-Laguna Expressway slated for completion in 2020.

The new C5 Link is envisioned to spur further economic development in Parañaque and in Cavite and Laguna provinces by providing a safe and convenient link from the central and northern parts of Metro Manila to the high-growth industrial and residential centers in Southern Tagalog.

C5 link construction in full swing

Cavitex Infrastructure Corp.(CIC) yesterday said the construction of the 7.7-kilometer, six-lane C-5 South Link expressway, which will connect C-5 road to the Manila-Cavite Toll expressway (Cavitex), is in full swing.

Mark Villar, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary, together with senior DPWH officials yesterday inspected the progress of the construction along the CP Garcia Monument, C-5, a stone’s throw away from the Bicutan East service road.

“The benefits of this urgent infrastructure project will far outweigh the temporary inconvenience during construction. Upon completion, this toll road will speed up the commute of motorists, and travelers from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite by allowing them to directly cross over the South Luzon Expressway and Skyway into C5 Taguig City,” Villar said.

About 40,000 to 45,000 vehicles are seen to benefit from the C-5 South Link and potentially decongest EDSA when it starts commercial operations.

 “We are all very excited and proud that we have brought this project into construction stage. The first phase is 2.2 KM long including a flyover above the South Luzon Expressway and Skyway from C-5 Road in Taguig to Merville in Sucat, Parañaque, and costs about P2.5 billion,” said Luigi Bautista, CIC president.

The expressway’s second phase, from Merville to Cavitex (Coastal road), is estimated to cost around P7.5 billion.

Completion of the project is targeted in June 2019. This will be operated as an open toll collection system.

“C5-South Link is expected to benefit those coming from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque by having a direct access to and from C5. It will eventually provide a seamless connection to the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway which is under construction,” said Rodrigo Franco, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president.

“We take pride in knowing that our organization contributes to the government’s Build, Build, Build program under Secretary Villar’s leadership,” Franco added.

MPTC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

Aside from the Cavitex network of toll roads, MPTC operates the North Luzon expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway and the soon to be constructed Cebu-Cordova Link expressway.

C-5 to Cavitex road works in full swing, says MPTC

Construction of the C-5 South Link Expressway, which will connect C-5 Road to the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX), is now in full swing, according to Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) unit Metro Pacific Tollways South.

Metro Pacific Tollways South president Luigi Bautista said the first phase of the project covering 2.2-kilometers (km), including a flyover above the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Skyway from C-5 Road in Taguig to Merville in Sucat, Parañaque, with a cost of about P2.5 billion, is now in the construction stage.

“We are all very excited and proud that we have brought this project into construction stage,” he said.

The second phase, which would cover Merville to Cavitex (Coastal Road), meanwhile, is estimated to cost around P7.5 billion.

Completion of the project is targeted in June 2019.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, who conducted an inspection of the construction works yesterday, said the project offers many benefits, outweighing the temporary inconvenience during construction.

“Upon completion, this toll road will speed up the commute of motorists, and travelers from Parañaque, Las Piñas and Cavite by allowing them to directly cross over the SLEX and Skyway into C-5 Taguig City. About 40,000 to 45,000 vehicles are seen to benefit from the C-5 South Link and potentially decongest EDSA when it starts commercial operations,” he said.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president Rodrigo Franco said the C-5 South Link would not only provide direct access to and from C-5 for those coming from Cavite, Las Piñas and parts of Parañaque, but would also eventually provide a seamless connection to the 45-km Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAx) which is under construction.

The CALAx which was bagged by MPIC unit MPCALA Holdings Inc. under the public-private partnership program during the previous administration, will cover a four-lane expressway to link CAVITEX and SLEX.

MPTC is the tollway arm of MPIC.

Aside from the Cavitex network of toll roads, MPTC operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

It is also working on other tollway projects such as the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, NLEX-Harbor Link Segment 10 and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

‘World class’ Clark airport terminal breaks ground

In Photo: House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez (center) leads other officials in the groundbreaking of the new Clark airport-terminal building in the northeast section of the 2,300-hectare Clark civil aviation complex in Pampanga on Wednesday.
CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT—A new airport terminal building with more than 100,000 square meters with an annual capacity for 8 million passengers broke ground here on Wednesday.

The new terminal building, located in the northeast portion of this 2,300-hectare civil aviation complex, is described as the first of the Duterte administration’s hybrid infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program. A hybrid model means the government will build the infrastructure using its own funds and then the operations and maintenance will be bid out to the private sector.

Leading the groundbreaking rites were House Speaker Pantaleon  D. Alvarez, former president and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Second District of Pampanga, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, Pampanga Gov. Lilia G. Pineda and Tarlac Gov. Susan A. Yap, Sens. Richard J. Gordon and Joseph Victor E. Ejercito and Bases Conversion Development Authority President and CEO Vivencio Dizon.

The hybrid project is considered the fastest to be implemented by the national government since its approval by the National Economic and Development Authority board in June.

Megawide-GMR won the bid to build the terminal after going through “a very stringent and transparent” bidding process monitored by the International Finance Corp. of the World Bank.

Megawide-GMR bested four other bidders for the design, engineering and construction of the new Clark airport terminal building.

On December 14 Megawide-GMR submitted the lowest financial proposal for the airport expansion project at P9.36 billion.

During his speech, Tugade noted there were heavy rains on Tuesday night, but good weather prevailed as soon as the sun came up in the morning, making it a beautiful day, which might well be the “blessing” bestowed on the new terminal building.

Tugade said efforts requesting to start the improvement and renovation of the Clark international airport only fell on deaf ears in the past. But now it gives new life to the plans and the desires of the Capampangans from all over Central Luzon to have a premier  international gateway here.

Tugade added  that no later than January 6, 2018, the government will mobilize to start the construction of the Tutuban to Malolos portion of the rail project and the entire stretch from Tutuban to Clark will be fully completed during the term of President Duterte. He said the rail project is tied to the full development of the Clark airport.

He also said that before the end of next year, the government will start making a reality the rail connectivity between Clark and Subic. The third project connected to the Clark airport is the so-called New Clark City in Tarlac, which will augur well the development and growth of the entire country.

The CIA is envisioned to be Asia’s next premier gateway and is expected to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  in Manila. It is one of the high-impact projects under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program and compliments the Clark Freeport Zone, which is being developed as the next investment center in Asia.

Gov’t awards Clark airport deal

Showcase of speed of hybrid PPP scheme, gov’t commitment to boost infrastructure

The Duterte administration awarded on Tuesday a contract to design and build a new passenger terminal for the Clark International Airport in Pampanga, a showcase of both its commitment to upgrade crucial transport infrastructure and the speed by which hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) deals could move.

The New Clark International Airport Terminal project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was awarded to a venture between Megawide Construction Corp. and India’s GMR Infrastructure yesterday. The new terminal would triple capacity at Clark Airport to 12 million passenger annually by 2020.

The EPC deal was rolled out last August by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

The BCDA, in a statement yesterday, called it the “fastest” PPP to be auctioned by the national government. The project, which was given the go-ahead by President Duterte last June, is slated to have its groundbreaking event today.

The Clark Airport expansion project is the first under the administration’s hybrid PPP format. Under this scheme, the government will pay for the construction of the terminal while the private sector will later be invited to bid for the operations and maintenance (O&M) component.

Jake Bingcang, chair of the BCDA special bids and awards committee, said earlier that they hoped to award the O&M contract by March 2018.

It should be noted that the new Clark Airport terminal EPC deal is relatively less complex than previous PPPs since it did not yet include any O&M. The O&M was typically bundled in with similar PPP deals during the Aquino administration.

Nevertheless, the administration wanted the auction to display how fast it could launch and award contracts via the hybrid PPP route since the procurement process is often cited as a cause of delay for infrastructure projects.

The BCDA kept a tight deadline, accepting bids for the construction of the new passenger terminal last Dec. 5. With the awarding on Monday, the entire process of evaluating, opening technical and financial offers was compressed to two weeks.

The Duterte administration wants to expand Clark Airport, which it sees as a viable alternative to congestion in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is also moving forward with a Japan-funded railway system that will link Manila and Clark by 2022.

Megawide-GMR, which operates and is expanding the Mactan Cebu International Airport, earlier submitted the best offer to build a terminal with a capacity of eight million passengers a year at the least cost to government.

It bested four other groups, including large state-owned companies from China. Megawide-GMR offered P9.36 billion, about 25 percent below the governments’ ceiling price of P12.55 billion. This was lower than the offers of Tokwing Construction Corp. and China Machinery Engineering Corp. (P12.45 billion), China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd. (P12.298 billion), China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. (P11.73 billion) and Sinohydro Corp. Ltd. (P10.68 billion).

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/242786/govt-awards-clark-airport-deal#ixzz51oTdlNb4
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Megawide-GMR Consortium to expand Clark Airport

Megawide Construction and India-based airport operator GMR Infrastructure have won a contract for the expansion of Clark International Airport in the Philippines.

The contract was awarded by the Philippines Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Transportation.

The contract covers the engineering, procurement, and construction of a new terminal. The airport will see an additional eight million passengers each year from the new terminal building.

Construction of the Clark International Airport’s new terminal building will be a public-private partnership (PPP) project. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

The government estimated the project to cost PHP 12.5 billion (US$249 million). However, the Megawide-GMR partnership won the contract by offering the lowest financial proposal at PHP 9.36 billion (US$185 million).

Other bidders for the Clark Airport expansion project include China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China Harbour Engineering Company, and the consortium of Tokwing Construction Corporation and China Machinery Engineering Corporation.

“Megawide-GMR was declared as the bidder with the ‘lowest calculated responsive bid’, after passing the post-qualification evaluation phase of the competitive bidding— besting four other bidders for the design, engineering and construction of the new Clark terminal building,” said the BCDA in a statement.

The expansion is one of the high-impact projects under the Duterte administration’s ambitious ‘Build, Build, Build Infrastructure Programme’. Other projects include the Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, Manila-Clark Railway, and the New Clark City.

Manila a ‘dead city’ in 25 years

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Roa Duterte pitched for the development of other cities outside the capital region, because Manila will likely be a “dead city” in 25 years.

In a speech during a food festival in Pampanga last Thursday, as reported by Dateline Philippines last December 7, President Duterte emphasized the importance of developing industrial cities as he pointed out that Metro Manila would no longer be a viable destination for investment.

With Manila’s apparent hopeless situation, Duterte said the only way to fix the area is to completely overhaul it.

“Manila, I think will be, in about 25 years, a dead city. It will start to decay and there is no way that we can rehab the place,” Duterte said. “You have to disperse the crowd, limit the factories at some time in the future but not really [now] for that would be too early. About 10 years from now, they should close Manila and start to develop [other areas].”

But to do this, Duterte made note that the country’s mass transportation system would first need to be improved.

“So Manila is no longer an option for industries. They have to go to the provinces. But the most important thing is there has to be a transport, whether mass or if there are too many cars, then you have to expand the highways,” Duterte said.

Under its ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program, the Philippine government is rolling out P8 trillion-worth of road networks and other infrastructures to enhance the mobility in different parts of the country.

Some of these projects include the Mega Manila Subway, the Mindanao Railway Project, Malolos-Clark Railway Project, the LRT-1 North Extension Project, and the expansion of the Clark International Airport.

In support of President Duterte’s call for decentralization, Senator Grace Poe warned that Metro Manila “may have no future if we do not act now.”

“We should seriously consider and push for outward development to decongest Metro Manila for the medium to long term but right now we have to jumpstart that initiative,” Poe said in a statement the following Friday, December 8, 2017.

Poe also expressed optimism that the Duterte government’s “Build, Build, Build” program would contribute to easing the traffic situation in the capital region.

“Perhaps with the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects of President Duterte like the Mega Manila subway, the completion of NLEX, SLEX, etc., we can see a marked improvement in the near future,” Poe said.

In the same speech, President Duterte also stressed the need to “improve the manufacturing side” of the agricultural sector to propel the country’s economic growth. He noted, however, that a lasting development must come alongside with peace.

“We have to improve the manufacturing site of the agricultural sector. That is the only way we can improve things. But we have to have law or peace there,” Duterte said.

Then, he took a swipe at the communist rebels for allegedly collecting revolutionary taxes in agricultural areas.

With the country’s agricultural sector “lagging behind, almost to a fault,” Duterte also pointed out that the only way to boost it is by providing more lands to peasants.

He assured that he will continue to push for the government’s agrarian reform program and would not break his campaign promise of helping the landless tillers.

In conclusion, President Duterte said, “The only way to improve it really is to give more lands, if you can afford it. I am for land reform. I am for… isa ‘yan sa mga sinabi ko sa kampanya (it’s one of my campaign promises) and I will not renege on it.”

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Incidentally, Congress has approved President Duterte’s request for extension of Martial Law in Mindanao until the end of 2018.

Just before this happened, the President voiced his feelings about his job during a Christmas Party for Malacañang reporters. He told them that “it gets to be lonelier and lonelier every day in this job. It gets to be scary to make final decisions, and that he had to make choices that will make people happy or sad.”

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Quote of the Day: “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”, or, in our national language, “Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon”!