Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is spending over P12 billion this year to strengthen its network and to relocate distribution poles affected by infrastructure projects of government.
Of the P12.03 billion networks capital expenditure (capex) set this year, the power distributor has already utilized 67 percent or P8 billion as of end-June, Meralco senior vice president and head of networks Ronnie Aperocho said.
He said P2.16 billion was spent for projects that address load growth requirements of the Meralco franchise.
A significant portion of the workload includes support for government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Build Build Build (BBB) programs.
“We also spent significant amount for the relocation of poles to support PPP/BBB programs projects of government. As of June 30, we have already relocated close to 2,800 poles out of more than 4,000 poles,” Aperocho said.
To support government priority projects, at least 4,260 poles need to be relocated. Of the running total, 2,780 affected poles have already been relocated as of end-June.
The PPP, BBB and other government projects include the C-5 South Link, the Cavite-Laguna Expressway Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) East Extension Project, C3-R10 Road, Skyway Stage 3, Metro Rail Transit Line 7, LRT 1 Extension project, the Lawton Avenue widening, and the Philippine National Railways (North 1 Project).
Meanwhile, Meralco is preparing for six more major government projects that are prepared to commence this year, Aperocho said.
These include the Bonifacio Global City Ortigas Link, C-6 Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, PNR North 2, Metro Manila Subway Project, the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road and Common Station.
Company officials said a big chunk of the networks capex are relocation and upgrades, which are non-revenue generating.
“For the demand growth, very little comes from the BBB projects. In fact, the question you may want to ask, is of the capex that we spent of P8 billion, how much are revenue producing and how much are these BBB built for the country, which are not directly revenue producing. But, of course, we have to do it,” Meralco chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.
Broken down, almost half of the P12.03 billion networks capex set this year, or P5.14 billion, is allocated to new customer connections.
Meralco has also budgeted P3.51 billion for asset renewals, such as replacement of poles, meters, substation equipment and relocation of poles affected by projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
The company has also set P250 million to relocate distribution facilities affected by the PPP and BBB programs, P858 million for movable non-network assets such as information technology and software, tools, work and testing equipment, and P46 million for immovable non-network assets like construction of meter warehouse.
Meanwhile, P2.22 billion was allocated to address load growth for the year, which include the construction of new switchyards and feeders for the Filinvest substation, the TMC substation and Bridgetowne substation.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/08/05/1940570/meralco-spending-p12-b-year-strengthen-network
Monday, August 5, 2019
Friday, August 2, 2019
Marikina grants Manila Water original proponent status
MANILA WATER Co., Inc. said Marikina had granted the Ayala-controlled water concessionaire the certificate of acceptance and grant of original proponent status to build and operate the city’s integrated waste management facility.
It told the stock exchange Thursday that it had received the certificate dated July 22, 2019 from the office the mayor “to treat and process the city solid waste of Marikina City.”
It added that Manila Water’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Manila Water Total Solutions Corp., submitted an unsolicited proposal to build and operate the facility through a joint venture arrangement.
“The Certificate granted by the City of Marikina authorizes the commencement of detailed negotiations with respect to the terms and conditions of the project,” it said.
Manila Water disclosed last month that it signed and executed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with the Calbayog City Water District to handle the city’s water system through a project with estimated capital expenditure of P1.197 billion.
Manila Water, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Calbayog Water Co., Inc. and the water district are to execute the project for 25 years from start date as defined in the JVA. The water system is estimated to deliver a potential billed volume of 28.48 million liters per day by year 2043.
Also last month, the company forged a similar JVA with the Lambunao Water District to handle the water system of Lambunao town in Iloilo province in a 35-year project that will entail a capital expenditure of P78.98 million. The project is estimated to deliver a potential billed volume of 2.93 million liters per day by 2054.
Both deals cover the design, construction, rehabilitation, maintenance, operation, financing, expansion and management of the water system in the areas. The handling of the wastewater system is included in the Calbayog City project.
On Thursday, Manila Water fell 2.13% to P23. — Victor V. Saulon
https://www.bworldonline.com/marikina-grants-manila-water-original-proponent-status/
It told the stock exchange Thursday that it had received the certificate dated July 22, 2019 from the office the mayor “to treat and process the city solid waste of Marikina City.”
It added that Manila Water’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Manila Water Total Solutions Corp., submitted an unsolicited proposal to build and operate the facility through a joint venture arrangement.
“The Certificate granted by the City of Marikina authorizes the commencement of detailed negotiations with respect to the terms and conditions of the project,” it said.
Manila Water disclosed last month that it signed and executed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with the Calbayog City Water District to handle the city’s water system through a project with estimated capital expenditure of P1.197 billion.
Manila Water, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Calbayog Water Co., Inc. and the water district are to execute the project for 25 years from start date as defined in the JVA. The water system is estimated to deliver a potential billed volume of 28.48 million liters per day by year 2043.
Also last month, the company forged a similar JVA with the Lambunao Water District to handle the water system of Lambunao town in Iloilo province in a 35-year project that will entail a capital expenditure of P78.98 million. The project is estimated to deliver a potential billed volume of 2.93 million liters per day by 2054.
Both deals cover the design, construction, rehabilitation, maintenance, operation, financing, expansion and management of the water system in the areas. The handling of the wastewater system is included in the Calbayog City project.
On Thursday, Manila Water fell 2.13% to P23. — Victor V. Saulon
https://www.bworldonline.com/marikina-grants-manila-water-original-proponent-status/
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Baguio eyes reopening Loakan Airport in 2020
The city government is mulling the reopening of the Loakan Airport, which ceased commercial operations in the 1990s, through a public-private partnership (PPP).
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Mayor Benjamin Magalong said he would meet with officials of the Department of Transportation on Wednesday (July 31) to discuss the proposal to reopen the airport for commercial operations.
“We are in the process of drafting a proposal which when agreed upon by the DOTr, the local government and DOTr would come up with an agreement that we will manage the facilities and the operation of the airport,” Magalong said on Tuesday.
Built in 1934, Loakan Airport is the only airport in the Cordillera. Prior to the 1990 earthquake, commercial airplanes serviced the city but stopped after the devastation brought about by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon in 1990.
Magalong said once the city had been granted permission to operate the airport, it would enter into a PPP scheme with a private firm.
“We will look for a third party, a group that will fully oversee the management, will have direct management of the facility... agreement will be between the LGU and the third party,” he said.
Magalong also bared that he would meet with officials of PALExpress, a PAL subsidiary, after he had been initially approached regarding the plan to reopen the airport.
“Fina-fasttrack namin. Hopefully by next year, early next year, mapatakbo na natin 'yan, ma-open na natin 'yan (We are fasttracking and hopefully by early next year, we can open it [Loakan airport] and operate it again)," he said.
Once operational, the airport would cater only to domestic flights, a clamor of tourists who travel to Baguio.
Magalong said tourists were discouraged from going to Baguio due to the long hours of travel and the traffic congestion.
In 2017, the city government placed the rehabilitation of the Loakan Airport among its priorities. The same was carried by the Regional Development Council in its 2018 Regional Infrastructure Development Projects for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
On the first semester of 2018, officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines visited the airport to see if some upgrading could again make the facility viable for regular air travel.
At present, the Loakan Airport is being used by the Philippine Air Force and the presidential chopper, but not by commercial flights due to its small size, pedestrians near the site, and the upland fog that hinders night vision. (With Rithan Haize Dullona, OJT/PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1076486
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Mayor Benjamin Magalong said he would meet with officials of the Department of Transportation on Wednesday (July 31) to discuss the proposal to reopen the airport for commercial operations.
“We are in the process of drafting a proposal which when agreed upon by the DOTr, the local government and DOTr would come up with an agreement that we will manage the facilities and the operation of the airport,” Magalong said on Tuesday.
Built in 1934, Loakan Airport is the only airport in the Cordillera. Prior to the 1990 earthquake, commercial airplanes serviced the city but stopped after the devastation brought about by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon in 1990.
Magalong said once the city had been granted permission to operate the airport, it would enter into a PPP scheme with a private firm.
“We will look for a third party, a group that will fully oversee the management, will have direct management of the facility... agreement will be between the LGU and the third party,” he said.
Magalong also bared that he would meet with officials of PALExpress, a PAL subsidiary, after he had been initially approached regarding the plan to reopen the airport.
“Fina-fasttrack namin. Hopefully by next year, early next year, mapatakbo na natin 'yan, ma-open na natin 'yan (We are fasttracking and hopefully by early next year, we can open it [Loakan airport] and operate it again)," he said.
Once operational, the airport would cater only to domestic flights, a clamor of tourists who travel to Baguio.
Magalong said tourists were discouraged from going to Baguio due to the long hours of travel and the traffic congestion.
In 2017, the city government placed the rehabilitation of the Loakan Airport among its priorities. The same was carried by the Regional Development Council in its 2018 Regional Infrastructure Development Projects for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
On the first semester of 2018, officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines visited the airport to see if some upgrading could again make the facility viable for regular air travel.
At present, the Loakan Airport is being used by the Philippine Air Force and the presidential chopper, but not by commercial flights due to its small size, pedestrians near the site, and the upland fog that hinders night vision. (With Rithan Haize Dullona, OJT/PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1076486
Monday, July 29, 2019
LRT 1 to close earlier
Train operating hours at the LRT 1 line will be modified to accommodate system upgrading works for the safety and reliability of service, the Light Rail Manila Corporation said on Sunday.
Effective July 29, the last LRT 1 train from Baclaran northbound will leave at 9:30 p.m. and from Roosevelt southbound at 9:45 p.m. daily.
The last trip of LRT1 was originally scheduled at 10 p.m. during weekdays.
The schedule of the first trip remains at 4:30 a.m. for either directions.
“The system upgrade and rehabilitation work will include the replacement of the auxiliary power supply and train control and monitoring system among many others,” said LRMC operations director Roberto San Jose.
“To be able to provide them a safe, reliable, efficient, and comfortable journey, we need to update and upgrade our signalling system,” he said.
The maintenance and rehabilitation work is set to be completed by October 2020.
http://manilastandard.net/news/national/300973/lrt-1-to-close-earlier.html
Effective July 29, the last LRT 1 train from Baclaran northbound will leave at 9:30 p.m. and from Roosevelt southbound at 9:45 p.m. daily.
The last trip of LRT1 was originally scheduled at 10 p.m. during weekdays.
The schedule of the first trip remains at 4:30 a.m. for either directions.
“The system upgrade and rehabilitation work will include the replacement of the auxiliary power supply and train control and monitoring system among many others,” said LRMC operations director Roberto San Jose.
“To be able to provide them a safe, reliable, efficient, and comfortable journey, we need to update and upgrade our signalling system,” he said.
The maintenance and rehabilitation work is set to be completed by October 2020.
http://manilastandard.net/news/national/300973/lrt-1-to-close-earlier.html
Thursday, July 25, 2019
DOTr completes 61 airport projects; building 4 railway projects
Halfway through the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has completed 61 airport projects nationwide, with 100 more ongoing, Secretary Arthur P. Tugade announced.
The DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) built two international airports, including the country’s first eco-airport, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport. They also built a new world-class passenger terminal building for the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Currently, they are improving international airports in Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Kalibo and Laoag. They are also constructing the second Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) of Clark International Airport and planning an additional runway.
Construction of the Sangley Airport in Cavite is now ongoing, 24/7, to meet the November, 2019 deadline for the start of general aviation and turboprop operations there.
The construction of the Bicol International Airport is more than halfway complete, todate and DOTr expects to open bids for the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan by the end of this month. Ormoc Airport has renovated its PTB and widened its runway “after years of neglect.”
A total of 21 commercial airports have achieved night ratings and 9 airports have been awarded with On-Time Performance (OTP) star ratings last year.
In the railway sector, the DOTr started the construction of four railway projects and continued two more.
The railway projects include the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite Extension, the Common Station and the Metro Manila Subway.
The DOTr also continued two more railway projects that began during the previous administration – the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 and the LRT Line 2 East Extension.
Already, the Metro Manila Subway has broken ground this February, the MRT 7 is nearly halfway complete and the MRT3 rehabilitation has started. The LRT1 Cavite Extension has started construction after two decades of delay and the LRT2 east Extension will be completed before the end of next year.
The PNR Clark Phase 1 is now on full-blast construction with the procurement of new train sets underway. The PNR Bicol and Mindanao Railway projects will start construction soon.
In the maritime sector, the DOTr has built and started operations of one land port and completed 218 commercial and social/tourism port projects.
With three more years left under the Duterte administration, the DOTr has been working at top speed to deliver these projects and programs without sacrificing quality, knowing full well that Filipinos have been waiting for decades for such public service, according to Tugade.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/07/24/dotr-completes-61-airports-building-4-railway-projects/
The DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) built two international airports, including the country’s first eco-airport, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport. They also built a new world-class passenger terminal building for the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Currently, they are improving international airports in Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Kalibo and Laoag. They are also constructing the second Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) of Clark International Airport and planning an additional runway.
Construction of the Sangley Airport in Cavite is now ongoing, 24/7, to meet the November, 2019 deadline for the start of general aviation and turboprop operations there.
The construction of the Bicol International Airport is more than halfway complete, todate and DOTr expects to open bids for the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan by the end of this month. Ormoc Airport has renovated its PTB and widened its runway “after years of neglect.”
A total of 21 commercial airports have achieved night ratings and 9 airports have been awarded with On-Time Performance (OTP) star ratings last year.
In the railway sector, the DOTr started the construction of four railway projects and continued two more.
The railway projects include the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite Extension, the Common Station and the Metro Manila Subway.
The DOTr also continued two more railway projects that began during the previous administration – the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 and the LRT Line 2 East Extension.
Already, the Metro Manila Subway has broken ground this February, the MRT 7 is nearly halfway complete and the MRT3 rehabilitation has started. The LRT1 Cavite Extension has started construction after two decades of delay and the LRT2 east Extension will be completed before the end of next year.
The PNR Clark Phase 1 is now on full-blast construction with the procurement of new train sets underway. The PNR Bicol and Mindanao Railway projects will start construction soon.
In the maritime sector, the DOTr has built and started operations of one land port and completed 218 commercial and social/tourism port projects.
With three more years left under the Duterte administration, the DOTr has been working at top speed to deliver these projects and programs without sacrificing quality, knowing full well that Filipinos have been waiting for decades for such public service, according to Tugade.
https://business.mb.com.ph/2019/07/24/dotr-completes-61-airports-building-4-railway-projects/
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Bill renewing ABS-CBN franchise refiled in House
A bill that would grant TV network ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise has been refiled in the House of Representatives, seven months before its existing legislative franchise expires.
Nueva Ecija 2nd District Rep. Micaela Violago, who also filed the bill in the previous Congress, refiled the measure a day after the 18th Congress opened.
“In acknowledgement of ABS-CBN’s accomplishments and the capital requirements of its operations, the immediate renewal of its original franchise which expires on March 30, 2020, is recommended to ensure the uninterrupted and improved delivery of its services to the Filipino people,” Violago said in filing House Bill No. 676.
The renewal of the franchise of the listed broadcasting company did not pass in the 17th Congress, where the measure remained pending in the committee from 2016 until it adjourned in June.
ABS-CBN could be forced to shut down if it fails to secure a fresh 25-year franchise from Congress, which is currently dominated by President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies.
The TV network, among the largest in the country, had 6,730 regular employees, 900 non-regular employees and 3,325 talents at the end of 2018, according to its report to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.
ABS-CBN has earned the ire of Duterte for supposedly failing to air his campaign ad.
He has threatened to veto the renewal of the TV network’s franchise.
Along with ABS-CBN, Duterte has also attacked other media outfits, including broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer and online news site Rappler.
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/7/24/Bill-renewing-ABS-CBN-franchise-refiled-in-House.html
Nueva Ecija 2nd District Rep. Micaela Violago, who also filed the bill in the previous Congress, refiled the measure a day after the 18th Congress opened.
“In acknowledgement of ABS-CBN’s accomplishments and the capital requirements of its operations, the immediate renewal of its original franchise which expires on March 30, 2020, is recommended to ensure the uninterrupted and improved delivery of its services to the Filipino people,” Violago said in filing House Bill No. 676.
The renewal of the franchise of the listed broadcasting company did not pass in the 17th Congress, where the measure remained pending in the committee from 2016 until it adjourned in June.
ABS-CBN could be forced to shut down if it fails to secure a fresh 25-year franchise from Congress, which is currently dominated by President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies.
The TV network, among the largest in the country, had 6,730 regular employees, 900 non-regular employees and 3,325 talents at the end of 2018, according to its report to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.
ABS-CBN has earned the ire of Duterte for supposedly failing to air his campaign ad.
He has threatened to veto the renewal of the TV network’s franchise.
Along with ABS-CBN, Duterte has also attacked other media outfits, including broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer and online news site Rappler.
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/7/24/Bill-renewing-ABS-CBN-franchise-refiled-in-House.html
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
C5 Southlink opens to motorists
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar announced on Tuesday the opening of the first section of the Cavitex C5 Southlink — the 2.2-kilometer flyover crossing South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) traversing Taguig and Pasay City.
“We are supportive of road engineering solutions for everyday problems. This is a vital project that will cut travel time in half from the usual 1.5 hours spent to cross from Villamor Airbase, Pasay area to Taguig City. With 3 lanes in each direction of this flyover, passage of the anticipated 8,000 vehicles will be eased when they use the flyover starting 8 p.m. sharp tonight.” Villar said in a statement.
The PHP1.6-billion C5 Link flyover is now accessible to vehicles plying between Fort Bonifacio, C.P. Garcia (C5), Taguig City, Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, and Pasay City.
The alignment features the bridge that crosses Metro Manila Skyway (at-grade) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
The C5 Link flyover is expected to reduce vehicular traffic in Sales interchange near Villamor Airbase. The flyover is also expected to decongest SLEX East and West Service Roads and Edsa.
This is the second public-private partnership with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation to open this year following the successful completion of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 in February 2019.
Philippine Reclamation Authority general manager Janilo Rubiato also announced his support to the completion of the project.
“As a grantee of the franchise to operate the Manila – Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP), the PRA will continue to contribute to President Duterte’s aggressive infrastructure initiatives and the expansion programs of its joint venture partner CIC,” he said.
A promise of a better and more efficient road network awaits motorists and residents of neighboring cities when the 7.7-kilometer C5 Link Expressway comes to its full completion.
CIC president Roberto V. Bontia said he foresees Cavitex C5 Link Expressway to be the choice thoroughfare for about 50,000 vehicles daily as customers experience the ease of traveling south of the Metro Manila from Parañaque Toll Plaza to C5 in Taguig City in under 10 minutes.
“We take small but sure steps at a time, today we open our flyover, the construction of the next 2.1 km section between Merville and Sucat, Las Piñas City will soon start, and eventually connect to the Parañaque side of Cavitex by 2022,” Bontia said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1075853
“We are supportive of road engineering solutions for everyday problems. This is a vital project that will cut travel time in half from the usual 1.5 hours spent to cross from Villamor Airbase, Pasay area to Taguig City. With 3 lanes in each direction of this flyover, passage of the anticipated 8,000 vehicles will be eased when they use the flyover starting 8 p.m. sharp tonight.” Villar said in a statement.
The PHP1.6-billion C5 Link flyover is now accessible to vehicles plying between Fort Bonifacio, C.P. Garcia (C5), Taguig City, Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, and Pasay City.
The alignment features the bridge that crosses Metro Manila Skyway (at-grade) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
The C5 Link flyover is expected to reduce vehicular traffic in Sales interchange near Villamor Airbase. The flyover is also expected to decongest SLEX East and West Service Roads and Edsa.
This is the second public-private partnership with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation to open this year following the successful completion of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 in February 2019.
Philippine Reclamation Authority general manager Janilo Rubiato also announced his support to the completion of the project.
“As a grantee of the franchise to operate the Manila – Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP), the PRA will continue to contribute to President Duterte’s aggressive infrastructure initiatives and the expansion programs of its joint venture partner CIC,” he said.
A promise of a better and more efficient road network awaits motorists and residents of neighboring cities when the 7.7-kilometer C5 Link Expressway comes to its full completion.
CIC president Roberto V. Bontia said he foresees Cavitex C5 Link Expressway to be the choice thoroughfare for about 50,000 vehicles daily as customers experience the ease of traveling south of the Metro Manila from Parañaque Toll Plaza to C5 in Taguig City in under 10 minutes.
“We take small but sure steps at a time, today we open our flyover, the construction of the next 2.1 km section between Merville and Sucat, Las Piñas City will soon start, and eventually connect to the Parañaque side of Cavitex by 2022,” Bontia said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1075853
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
DOTr says construction of LRT-2 extension project now 61% complete
The construction of the Light Rail Transit line 2 (LRT-2) East Extension Project is now 61 percent complete, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday.
The DOTr said the project, which will add four kilometers of railway tracks from Santolan in Pasig City to Masinag in Antipolo City, is already at 61.93% completion rate as of June 2019.
The LRT-2 extension project will feature two stations – the Emerald station, along Marcos highway and adjoining Gil Fernando and Felix Avenues, and the Masinag station, near Sumulong highway in Antipolo City, Rizal.
The DOTr said the building of the elevated viaduct is already 100 percent complete, while the design and build of the two additional stations are currently ongoing.
“The Emerald Station in Marikina is 89.51% complete while the Masinag Station in Antipolo is at 86.86% complete,” the agency added.
Once operational, it is expected to significantly reduce the travel time from Antipolo to Claro M. Recto in Manila to 40 minutes from the current three hours.
The DOTr is targeting to begin its operations by the fourth quarter of 2020.
https://www.untvweb.com/news/dotr-says-construction-of-lrt-2-extension-project-now-61-complete/
The DOTr said the project, which will add four kilometers of railway tracks from Santolan in Pasig City to Masinag in Antipolo City, is already at 61.93% completion rate as of June 2019.
The LRT-2 extension project will feature two stations – the Emerald station, along Marcos highway and adjoining Gil Fernando and Felix Avenues, and the Masinag station, near Sumulong highway in Antipolo City, Rizal.
The DOTr said the building of the elevated viaduct is already 100 percent complete, while the design and build of the two additional stations are currently ongoing.
“The Emerald Station in Marikina is 89.51% complete while the Masinag Station in Antipolo is at 86.86% complete,” the agency added.
Once operational, it is expected to significantly reduce the travel time from Antipolo to Claro M. Recto in Manila to 40 minutes from the current three hours.
The DOTr is targeting to begin its operations by the fourth quarter of 2020.
https://www.untvweb.com/news/dotr-says-construction-of-lrt-2-extension-project-now-61-complete/
Building the MRT 7 common station
 |
| Department of Transportation (DOTr) representatives join construction partners during a media tour of the partially completed facilities of the MRT 7 Common Station at the North Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday. Headed by EEI Corporation AVP Vicente Gaya, the partners and media were briefed and shown the main concourse, Levels 1 and 2 of the MRT 7, which are part of the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build project. |
MRT-7 partial operations to happen in 2021, not 2020 —DOTr
By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News
Commercial operations of the Metro Rail Transit System Line 7 (MRT-7) has been moved to 2021 from 2020, the Department of Transportation said on Wednesday, citing issues in right-of-way acquisitions.
“Para sa MRT-7 ang target natin partial operation will be end of 2021,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said in a press conference.
The department initially set the commercial operations of MRT-7 to start in 2020.
The partial operation of the new mass rail transit system will start in the last quarter of 2021.
Batan noted they are facing “big challenges” in acquiring right-of-way properties for the project.
“Isa po doon sa pinakamalaking challenges in implementing our infrastructure projects is really right-of way-acquisition,” Batan said.
However, the contractor and concessionaire are supposedly doing their best to speed up the construction by “working on workables” to meet the 2021 target.
“Based on the availability noong right of way natin, at this point in time, on track tayo in achieving ‘yung partial operability target natin by 2021,” Batan said.
The project was conceptualized in 2001, with the budget approved in 2009 and in place in 2016.
“Ang catch up that we are doing … it spans almost two decades,” Batan said. —VDS, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/701315/mrt-7-partial-operations-to-happen-in-2021-not-2020-dotr/story/
Commercial operations of the Metro Rail Transit System Line 7 (MRT-7) has been moved to 2021 from 2020, the Department of Transportation said on Wednesday, citing issues in right-of-way acquisitions.
“Para sa MRT-7 ang target natin partial operation will be end of 2021,” Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said in a press conference.
The department initially set the commercial operations of MRT-7 to start in 2020.
The partial operation of the new mass rail transit system will start in the last quarter of 2021.
Batan noted they are facing “big challenges” in acquiring right-of-way properties for the project.
“Isa po doon sa pinakamalaking challenges in implementing our infrastructure projects is really right-of way-acquisition,” Batan said.
However, the contractor and concessionaire are supposedly doing their best to speed up the construction by “working on workables” to meet the 2021 target.
“Based on the availability noong right of way natin, at this point in time, on track tayo in achieving ‘yung partial operability target natin by 2021,” Batan said.
The project was conceptualized in 2001, with the budget approved in 2009 and in place in 2016.
“Ang catch up that we are doing … it spans almost two decades,” Batan said. —VDS, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/701315/mrt-7-partial-operations-to-happen-in-2021-not-2020-dotr/story/
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