MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) unveiled yesterday major railway projects including the proposed P135-billion project to build an underground mass rail service between the Makati central business district and Pasay City.
During a meeting with prospective investors, DOTC Assistant Secretary Jaime Feliciano said the government is looking at increasing urban mass transport ridership to 2.2 million per day by 2016 or 2017 from the current level of 1.2 million per day under the government’s Rail Transport Development Plan.
Under the plan, Feliciano said the DOTC would develop intermodal facilities and at the same time improve transport linkages and efficiency to production and consumption markets.
On top of the list, was the P135-billion Mass Transit System including a “subway†or underground rail system to address the growing concern on traffic congestion in the fast growing urban centers in the cities of Makati, Pasay and Taguig.
The proposed 20-kilometer loop would consist of 16 kms tunnel and four kms elevated railway especially in the reclaimed area in Pasay City. The project would consist of 11 stations consisting of five underground, four interchanges and two elevated,†Feliciano said.
The DOTC is looking at forwarding the project to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for approval in the second or third quarter of the year afterwhich the government would bid out the project in the second quarter of next year.
The DOTC also presented the proposed P284 billion North-South Commuter Rail stretching 89.7 kilometers from Malolos in Bulacan to Calamba in Laguna that could be extended to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
The agency also presented the P271-billion Integrated Luzon
Railway project stretching 900 kms from Sorsogon in Bicol to Tugegarao in Cagayan.
The DOTC is also looking at establishing the 28-km Manila ( Quezon Ave.) bus rapid transit worth P4.65 billion. The bus service would start from Manila City hall to Philcoa in Quezon City and from Commonwealth to Fairview.
Likewise, the participants were also briefed about the Metro Rail Transit line 7 (MRT7) worth P66.5 billion stretching 22 kms from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose in Bulacan to be undertaken by diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC).
The agency is also set to bid out the operation and maintenance of the LRT2 being extended all the way to Masinag in Antipolo City .
Furthermore, the agency is also looking at extending the LRT1 all the way to Dasmarinas in Cavite on top of the ongoing bidding for the P65 billion LRT1 Cavite extension project to Bacoor also in Cavite .
Meanwhile, investors were lukewarm to the idea of the DOTC to bundle the bidding of the operation and maintenance of six different airports scattered in different parts of the country.
Noel Kintanar of conglomerate Ayala Corp. said it would be more feasible and viable if smaller airports would be bundled with bigger airports such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila that has four terminals.
“If you want to drag along the smaller airports into a state of operation and maintenance that is world-class, the key is to bundle it with Manila . It is very clear opportunity to cross subsidize the poor airports with clear money making airports. You will hit two birds with one stone you address the issue un manila and you tag along the smaller airports,†Kintanar said.
The airports being offered include the New Panglao Airport , the Laguindingan Airport , Davao International airport, Iloilo , New Bacolod Silay airport, and Puerto Princesa Airport.