DOTC pushes back LRT Line 1 extension bidding

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has pushed back the bidding for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 extension, operation and maintenance to a later date to give bidders more time to prepare their proposals.

“In response to the request of several prospective bidders for more time to prepare their bid proposals and in light of recent discussions and clarification made during the one-on-one sessions held with each of the prospective bidders and recent documents released, please be notified that the bid proposals submission date is hereby extended to July 30, 2013,” DOTC Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla said in General Bid Bulletin (GBB) No. 10-2013 issued yesterday.

Prior to the issuance of the GBB, the deadline set for the submission of bids for the project was scheduled on June 17.

The P60 billion project will involve extending LRT 1 which currently runs from Roosevelt in Quezon City until Baclaran in Pasay City, up to Cavite.

With the extension from the current 20.7 kilometers to 32.4 kilometers, the LRT 1 would have a new south endpoint in Niog, Bacoor in Cavite.

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

Firms which have been cleared to participate in the bidding for the project in November are the Light Rail Manila Consortium, MTD-Samsung Group, San Miguel Infrastructure Resources Inc., and DMCI Holdings Inc.

The Light Rail Manila consortium is led by First Pacific’s Metro Pacific Investments Corp.  holding 33 percent, followed by diversified conglomerate Ayala Corp.

The MTD-Samsung group, meanwhile, 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.

DMCI has tied up with Marubeni Corp. and Sistema Tranporte Collectivo Metrorey to make a bid for in the project.