TRB says SMC ally has 'best right' to undertake Metro Manila skyway

MANILA, Philippines - The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) admits that the Citra Group, recently allied with local diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), has the “best right” to undertake an extension of the Metro Manila Skyway to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Lawyer Edmundo Reyes Jr., TRB executive director, said that the Citra Group’s expression of intent to undertake the project as an extension of the South Luzon Expressway and the Skyway gave them advantage with TRB in having their right to the project recognized.

“They have the best right,” Reyes said.

He said that the TRB has jurisdiction over all extension and linkages to existing tollways, with the authority recently upheld by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is currently packaging a new project for an elevated expressway from the Skyway to the NAIA terminals and extending into Macapagal Boulevard right into the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Entertainment City, under a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

“The Citra proposal would be under a different mode. It would be under the TRB. It would be under PD (Presidential Decree) 94, an extension of the concession granted to PNCC (Philippine National Construction Corp.) to construct the linkages extension to the existing expressway, Skyway is part of the expressway,” Reyes said.

Citra expressed early this month an interest in undertaking the 5-kilometer Skyway-NAIA Expressway Extension (SNEE) project, which is to cost some P12.4 billion.

Reyes said the TRB received the communication signifying interest in the Skyway-NAIA extension project last July 1.

He said the matter would be discussed in the next TRB board directors meeting later this month.

Citra expressed interest in undertaking the extension of the Skyway to NAIA complex in 2010.

The SNEE is a four-lane elevated expressway that starts from the existing NAIA ramp on Sales Street along Andrews Avenue towards the Airport-NAIA Road and ends in Macapagal Avenue parallel to Roxas Blvd.

The project will serve NAIA terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the proposed Pagcor Entertainment City; and connect traffic from Cavite, Roxas Blvd. and Macapagal Avenue to Makati City and Southern Manila.

If it gets the chance to implement the SNEE, the Citra Group expressed confidence that its unique technology and expertise in building elevated highways will be put to use in completing the project in two years at a cost of only P12.4 billion, including the P1.15 billion right of way costs.

Citra said that these projections were based on a latest updated study.

The Citra-SMC consortium has recently gotten the approval of President Aquino to implement an elevated Skyway extension that will link the current Skyway from Buendia to the North Luzon Expressway.

Citra said that their two-year completion target was doable because it has established a remarkable track record of completing its projects within schedule and within budget, citing the case of their completion of the Skyway project before the target date and within the allotted budget.