DOTr: Final subway deals issued by early next year

MANILA, Philippines — The government plans to award the remaining contracts for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) by the first quarter of 2024 to catch up with the delay in construction.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is scheduled to receive the bid proposals for Contract Packages (CP) 105, 108 and 109 of the MMSP on Nov. 6.

Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the DOTr is hoping to appoint the contractors for the remaining segments of the subway within the first quarter of next year.

“For (CPs) 105, 108 and 109, we will close the bid submissions on Nov. 6. Award is in the first quarter of next year,” Batan said.

Each of the remaining contracts is estimated to cost between P10 billion and P15 billion. These CPs were supposed to be awarded in 2023 to ensure that the project remains on schedule with the target to complete the MMSP by 2028.

CP 105 comprises the stations connecting Kalayaan in Makati City with Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

Meanwhile, CP 108 covers the Lawton to Senate tranche of the subway, while CP 109 consists of the final stations and the spur line leading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The DOTr has so far managed to issue the contracts for the stations, tracks and tunnels spanning Valenzuela City to Pasig City, allowing their concessionaires to kick off construction.

CP 101 was bagged by a joint venture led by EEI Corp. The contract is made up of four stations, namely, East Valenzuela, Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora and North Avenue, and the depot for the subway.

Further, CP 102, secured by D.M. Consunji Inc., covers the stretch between Quezon Avenue and East Avenue, while CP 103, issued to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd., runs from Anonas to Camp Aguinaldo. CP 104, to be delivered by Megawide Construction Corp, traverses Ortigas to Shaw Boulevard.

In an update, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the government would soon bring in two more tunnel boring machines to be used to excavate the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard line. Contractors are presently digging the stretch between East Valenzuela and North Avenue.

The subway, financed by Japan, will extend for roughly 33 kilometers across seven cities, from Valenzuela City to Pasay City, cutting travel time from end to end to 35 minutes.

The project, the first underground railway of the Philippines, is projected to serve up to 519,000 passengers per day.