SMC submits P10-billion redevelopment plan for Pandacan oil depot

MANILA, Philippines — Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) a P10-billion proposal to redevelop the Pandacan oil depot into a bus and food terminal complex that will divert all provincial buses and delivery trucks away from EDSA to ease traffic in Metro Manila, according to its president and COO Ramon Ang.

“We have submitted a proposal to Transportation Secretary Tugade. We were in discussion with him, we’ve consulted with him, and we have both come up with good ideas how to help the public transport to be better,” he said.

According to Ang, they plan to transform the old Pandacan oil depot into a new central bus terminal and goods market.

The proposed development would be directly connected to the Skyway expansion project, allowing vehicles and trucks to bypass the already congested EDSA.

From there, smaller public utility vehicles (PUVs), like UV Express, can transport passengers to other points in Metro Manila, Ang said.

“This is our solution. If you’re coming from Ilocos or Laguna, the provincial buses will use the Skyway and head to Pandacan,” Ang said. “We’ll call it Skyway Bus and Food Terminal.”

The proposed redevelopment of the Pandacan oil depot into a bus and food terminal is expected to cost P10 billion.

 “That would cost P10 billion all in for the property redevelopment, including the terminal, on-ramp and off-ramp to Skyway, roads and other components,” Ang said.

The Pandacan oil depot used to house the storage facilities and distribution terminals of major oil companies such as SMC’s oil refining arm Petron Corp., Chevron Philippines Inc. and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

But in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that oil firms should remove the depot from Pandacan. Moreover, a Manila City ordinance reclassified the area from heavy industrial to high intensity commercial/mixed use zone.

SMC has discussed the proposed development with other oil companies in Pandacan, which have expressed support for the project, Ang said.

SMC, through Petron, owns around 25 hectares of the Pandacan oil depot and the rest are owned by Shell and Caltex.

“Only 25 hectares of the Pandacan oil depot is under Petron, but we can form a joint venture with Shell and Caltex,” Ang said. “We are in talks with Shell and Caltex and they are supporting the plan.”

Last week, Ang said the bypass and transport terminal as a joint project with the DOTr.

Under the joint project with the DOTr, SMC will provide a designated lane along the Connector Road for buses and UV Express vehicles so they can bypass EDSA.