Tugade inspects PNR Clark Phase 1 project site

MALOLOS, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando yesterday inspected the construction site of the 38-kilometer Philippine National Railway (PNR) Clark Phase 1 project in Bulacan.

Tugade and Fernando were briefed by officials of Sumitomo-Mitsui Corp. on the progress of the project, which costs P106 billion.

Of the amount, P93 billion was funded with official development assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The Philippine government provided a counterpart amount of P13 billion.

The project is expected to start partial operation by December.

Once completed, travel time from Tutuban in Manila to Clark in Pampanga will be cut from one hour and a half to 35 minutes.

Tugade and Fernando were welcomed by 70 former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced by the pandemic and hired to work in the project.

Aside from the 70 OFWs, Tugade said 200 more former OFWs were recommended to the Sumitomo-Mitsui Corp. to work in the project.

During the briefing, the Japanese company said the first launch of the project’s segmental box girder was held in November and was considered as one of the first major application of the “span by span” method for infrastructure projects in the Philippines.