DOTC pushes back anew submission deadline for LRT-1

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has pushed back anew the deadline for the submission of pre-qualification documents for the biggest infrastructure project under the Aquino administration, the LRT-1 extension project.

In General Bid Bulletin 08-2013, DOTC undersecretary Rene Limcaoco said the revised bid proposals submission date for the proposed P60 billion project that would extend LRT-1 to Bacoor, Cavite has been moved to June 17 instead of May 27 as bidders were given until April 29 to submit their final queries and comments.

Limcaoco said the DOTC and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) are set to conduct a second round of one-on-one meetings with the pre-qualified bidders on April 22 and April 23.

Both the DOTC and LRTA are set to release the final concession agreement on May 20.

Last November, the DOTC’s special bids and awards committee had cleared the participation of the Light Rail Manila Consortium, MTD-Samsung Group, San Miguel Infrastructure Resources Inc., and DMCI Holdings Inc. after they beat the Oct. 22 deadline.

The Light Rail Manila consortium is led by First Pacific’s Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) with 33 percent followed by diversified conglomerate Ayala Corp. while the MTD-Samsung group is composed of MTD Capital Bhd. and Samsung C&T Corp.

Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. through San Miguel Infra Resources Inc. led the group composed of GS Engineering and construction Corp. and POSCO Engineering and Construction Co Ltd while DMCI has tied up with Marubeni Corp. and Sistema Tranporte Collectivo Metrorey.

The Cavite extension project would increase the span of LRT-1 to 32.4 kilometers from 20.7 kilometers with a new south endpoint in Niog, Bacoor, Cavite instead of Baclaran in Pasay City.

Approximately 10.5 kilometers of the Cavite Extension System worth P30.6 billion would be elevated and 1.2 kilometers would be at grade level serving nearly four million residents of Parañaque, Las Piñas, and the Province of Cavite.

The stations would include Redemptorist Church in Baclaran, MIA Road, Asiaworld, N. Aquino, Dr. Santos, Manuyo Uno, Las Piñas, Zapote, Talaba, and finally Niog.

DOTC undersecretary Catherine Gonzales earlier said majority of the P500 billion worth of infrastructure projects under the public private partnership (PPP) scheme are likely to be completed within the term of President Aquino.