DOTC to bid out LRT Ext to Dasmariñas separately

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is likely to bid out a contract to further extend the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1) to Dasmariñas separately from the proposed P60-billion project extending the mass transit system to Bacoor in Cavite.

DOTC undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla said in an interview with reporters that the government is pressed for time to complete the Aquino administration’s largest infrastructure project to be undertaken through the public private partnership (PPP) scheme.

Lotilla said the proposed extension to Dasmariñas instead of ending in Niog in Bacoor, Cavite would entail a separate study as well as approval by several agencies led by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“That would be another study for the additional portion and the problem is the timetable might suffer and we are trying to beat the clock,” he explained.

The Cavite extension project would increase the span of LRT-1 to 32.4 kilometers from 20.7 kilometers with a new south endpoint in Niog, Bacoor, Cavite instead of Baclaran. The extension project includes 10 stations, 10.5 kilometers of viaduct, support beams, and three intermodal facilities.

Approximately 10.5 kilometers of the Cavite Extension System would be elevated and 1.2 kilometers would be at grade level serving nearly four million residents of Parañaque, Las Piñas, and the Province of Cavite.

The cost of the project was placed at about P30.6 billion.

Lotilla said the DOTC has decided to pursue the construction of 10 stations instead of an option of only eight stations. The stations would include Redemptorist church in Baclaran, MIA Road, Asiaworld, N. Aquino, Dr. Santos, Manuyo Uno, Las Pinas, Zapote, Talaba, and finally Niog.

“Well right now the project is up to Bacoor only and the planned extension to Dasmarinas is still being studied,” he added.

The DOTC has pre-qualified four groups – Light Rail Manila Consortium, SMC Infra Resources Inc., the MTD-Samsung Consortium, and DMCI Holdings Inc. – that would be allowed to bid for the P30.6 billion civil works portion of the P60.6 billion project on May 27.

The Light Rail Manila consortium is led by First Pacific’s Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) with 33 percent followed by diversified conglomerate Ayala Corp. with 33 percent, AC Infra Holdings Corp. with 12 percent, Macguarie Infra Holdings Philippines PTE Ltd with 10 percent, and RATP Development SA with one participation unit.

The group’s railway infrastructure would be handled by Bouygues travaux Publics SA, Obrascon Huarte Lain SA, and Leighton Contractors Asia Ltd. while the railway system would be handled by Alstom Transport Sa and Ansaldo STS s PA. The operation and maintenance would be handled by RATP Development SA.

On the other hand, the MTD-Samsung group is composed of MTD Capital Bhd. with 33 percent followed by Samsung C&T Corp. with 20 percent, Union Equities Inc. with 15 percent, DM Wenceslao & Associates with 12 percent, and Primewater Infra Corp. with 20 percent.

The railway infrastructure would be handled by MTD Capital and Samsung C&T and system by Hyundai Rotern Co. The operation and management will be handled by Seoul Metro.

Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. through San Miguel Infra Resources Inc. lead the group composed of GS Engineering and construction Corp. and POSCO Engineering and Construction Co ltd. The railway set would be taken care of POSCO Engineering Co Ltd. and the railway system would be handled by Korea Railroad Corp.

Meanwhile, construction giant DM Consunji Inc. lead the DMCI group composed of Marubeni Corp. and Sistema Tranporte Collectivo Metrorey.

The governments of the Philippines and Japan is set to ink a P30-billion yen loan agreement to bankroll the acquisition of trains to be used for the project on March 15.