SMC, Ayala, 3 others eye FTI bus terminal

MANILA, Philippines - Five companies led by diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. and property giant Ayala Land Inc. are set to join the bidding for the proposed P4 billion integrated transport system (ITS) at the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) compound in Taguig City next month.

Michael Arthur Sagcal, spokesman of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), said SMC, Ayala Land, Filinvest Group of taipan Andrew Gotianun, Filipino-owned Megawide Construction Corp., and Datem Construction bought bid documents for the public private partnership (PPP) project.

The DOTC has given interested bidders until Oct. 6 to submit bids to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the ITS-South Terminal designed to serve passengers coming from Laguna and Batangas.

The terminal would connect passengers from the Laguna and Batangas side to other urban transport systems such as the proposed North-South Commuter Rail of the Philippine National Railways, city buses, taxis, and other public utility vehicles that serve inner Metro Manila.

The project would include a passenger terminal building, arrival and departure bays, public information systems, ticketing and baggage holding facilities as well as park-ride facilities.

On the other hand, the DOTC also moved the deadline for the submission of bids for the proposed P2.5-billion ITS-Southwest Terminal to be situated in a 2.9-hectare property located at the Coastal Road Terminal along the Manila-Cavite Expressway to late September instead of Aug. 30.

Several companies have expressed interest in the terminal that would connect passengers coming from Cavite to other urban transport systems such as the future Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT) South Extension to Bacoor in Cavite, city bus, taxi, and other public utility vehicles plying Metro Manila.

These include diversified conglomerate SMC., conglomerate Ayala Corp. and Ayala Land, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. of infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments

Corp., Robinsons Land Inc. of taipan John Gokongwei, D.M. Wenceslao and Associates Inc., Vicente T. Lao Construction,

French-owned Egis Projects Philippines, Filinvest Land Inc. of taipan Andrew Gotianun; Megawide Construction Corp.; State Properties Corp.; and Expedition Properties Corp.

The DOTC is still identifying the final site for the ITS-North Terminal. It is now looking at the Seedling Bank at the corner of Quezon Ave. and EDSA as well as the property of the National Housing Authority (NHA) near the Trinoma Mall.