DOTC extends LRT 1 Extension bid deadline

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has postponed anew the bidding for the biggest infrastructure project of the Aquino administration–the P60-billion extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 from Pasay City to Bacoor in Cavite.

DOTC Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla said they are further extending the deadline for the submission of bids for the extension, operations and maintenance project to Aug. 15 instead of July 30.

Lotilla, who heads the agency’s special bids and awards committee (SBAC), said the two-week extension would give the bidders enough time to finalize their proposals.

“In order to allow bidders ample time to prepare their bid proposals after the release of the concession agreement, please be notified that the bid proposal submission date is hereby extended to Aug. 15,” he stated in a July 26 department bulletin.

This is the third time that the deadline for the submission and opening of bids has been deferred. It was originally scheduled last May 27 but was moved to June 17, then to July 30.

Last November, the SBAC has cleared the participation of the Light Rail Manila Consortium, MTD-Samsung Group, San Miguel Infrastructure Resources Inc., and DMCI Holdings Inc. after beating the Oct. 22 deadline.

The Light Rail Manila consortium is led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) with 33 percent, followed by Ayala Corp. while the MTD-Samsung group is composed of MTD Capital Bhd. and Samsung C&T Corp.

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 while DMCI has tied up with Marubeni Corp. and Sistema Tranporte Collectivo Metrorey.

Of the total project cost, the government is spending P30 billion for the acquisition of 39 new light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the project through an official development assistance (ODA) loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

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.