Government receives 34 bids for PNR-Calamba project

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said a total of 34 bids from six local companies and 17 international firms have been received for contract packages of the PNR-Calamba project which is targeted to start construction next year.

The bids received are for the construction of a combined 40.5 kilometers of viaduct structures, including 13 elevated stations and a 22-hectare train depot for the project.

The local companies that submitted their bids were D.M. Consunji Inc., EEI Corp., First Balfour Inc., Megawide Construction Corp., Prime Metro BMD Corp., and Santa Clara International Corp.

Meanwhile, companies from China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Spain, and Japan also submitted their bids.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the impressive turnout of bidders for the PNR-Calamba project’s contract packages is proof of the infrastructure sector’s trust in the government’s Build Build Build infrastructure program.

“This record-breaking turnout of bidders is yet again an indication of the trust and confidence of both the local and international infrastructure sectors on the Duterte administration’s Build Build Build program, which champions a transparent, fair, and efficient bidding process through a joint implementation by the DOTr, PNR, and the procurement service of the DBM,” Tugade said.

The opening of bids for more contract packages for the PNR-Calamba project is set later this year.

The agency expects over 10,000 direct jobs to be generated with the construction of the PNR-Calamba project which will commence next year.

PNR-Calamba will have 19 stations located across five cities in Metro Manila and six cities in Laguna.

The 56-kilometer railway project is expected to serve at least 340,000 passengers daily during its partial operations, while ridership is seen to increase up to 550,000 passengers once the railway is on full operation in 2028.

The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and with the official development assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The PNR-Calamba project is part of the longer 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway System which has 35 stations stretching from Calamba in Laguna to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.