Megawide dips into railways via PNR's Metro Manila line

MANILA, Philippines - Megawide Construction Corp. will mark its foray into railway development through a partnership with the East -West Rail Transit Corp. and Alloy MTD.

The joint venture will construct the PNR East-West Railway Project, a 9.77-kilometer railway line from Diliman, Quezon City along the corridor of Quezon Avenue up to España Boulevard in the city of Manila, the third most traversed passage in Metro Manila.

Megawide president Edgar Saavedra said the company’s participation in the railway project is part of the company’s efforts to support the government’s project and its vision for nation building.

Saavedra said the project could help ease traffic in Metro Manila by providing an alternative mode of transportation.

“Megawide supports the Duterte administration in its push for reliable, sustainable transport infrastructure. A solution is needed for Metro Manila’s worsening traffic congestion and we believe efficient mass transportation is the answer,” Saavedra said.

He said Megawide would bring into the project its core competence as an engineering and construction conglomerate.

“Engineering and construction are vital components in any infrastructure project; in fact, they are the basis of Megawide’s capability in infrastructure development. This will guide our participation and vision for EWRP,” Saavedra said.

He said Megawide’s entry into the project is testament to its deep experience as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. Its experience includes the construction of world-class Philippine infrastructure projects such as the PPP for School Infrastructure Project phases 1 and 2, which entailed the construction of almost 10,000 classrooms across Luzon.

Megawide is also behind the Southwest Integrated Transport System (SWITS), the country’s first integrated land transport hub which will have a connection to LRT Line 1.

It is also the successful proponent of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), its first airport project, which was awarded by the Center for Aviation as Asia Pacific Regional Airport of 2016.

Through MCIA, Megawide is currently the only private Filipino company with extensive and proven experience in operating an international airport.

Megawide posted a net income of P549 million in the first quarter, down 4.37 percent from the same period a year ago.  Revenues, however, grew to P4.77 billion.