EDITORIAL — Don’t derail this project

Another big-ticket public works project is open for bidding, and the government should know its lesson enough by now to make the process transparent. The Light Rail Transit Authority has announced that it is now accepting bids for the interconnection of the LRT and the Metro Rail Transit — a project that is estimated to cost about P6.3 billion. Three groups have signified interest in the project so far, according to LRTA officials.

Funding for the interconnection, which is projected to start in May next year, will be sourced from the debt paper sale of the National Development Co. worth P4.6 billion, with another P1.67 billion to be allocated through the annual national budget. The feasibility study for the project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority last month, and the LRTA hopes to finish the project by May 2010.

The project, if implemented properly, will be a boon to commuters in Metro Manila, where the MRT and LRT are popular modes of public transportation. LRTA officials expect the interconnection to increase passenger capacity in the system by more than 66 percent, from 322,309 daily to nearly 535,558. Even well-conceived development projects under this administration, however, tend to be derailed by people who want to line their pockets at public expense. With the continuing furor over the national broadband network deal with Chinese firm ZTE Corp., the government should see to it that this interconnection project does not become bogged down in another scandal.

So far the LRTA is making the right noises. LRTA authorities are reportedly planning to invite representatives of the Philippine Contractors Association, Transparency International and even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to witness the bidding process.

The LRTA can take tips from the military procurement reforms instituted by Avelino Cruz when he was the defense secretary. The reforms drastically reduced the number of steps in the bidding process, minimizing opportunities for corruption, and guaranteed transparency at every step. Whether the new system would be sustained remains to be seen. But the model is there, together with other examples of transparent bidding for government projects. The LRTA should study these models closely if it is sincere in its efforts to shield the interconnection project from corruption.