By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco / Correspondent
The Mandaluyong City Council has issued a resolution expressing “continuing objection” to a reported attempt by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to take over an ambitious urban hybrid-railway project that Mandaluyong City is spearheading with the assistance of the Japanese government.
In Resolution 2574, the Mandaluyong City Council scored the DOTC’s position that the construction of an automated people mover (APM) hybrid rail and monorail public-transport technology, stretching from Manila to Taytay City, Rizal, is “impractical and unfeasible…that will not benefit Mandaluyong City, and even the other local government units [LGUs].”
The City Council said that a study conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti), which had drawn up a four-option alignment plan for an APM line in eastern Metro Manila, had already identified the DOTC’s selected alignment, as projected to have low ridership and, therefore, not economically feasible, and will only benefit commuters that pass the Ortigas Avenue and Ortigas Avenue Extension route.
Worse, the council members added that the “DOTC had made a presumptuous major change in the public-transport project by making the project a ‘light rail transit’ project and even packaging the project as a ‘proposed LRT 4’ project.”
The council members lamented that the DOTC had only considered its position on the basis of least cost and not on the economic impact to Metro Manila.
The DOTC’s interference on the project was “highly frustrating,” the council members said, considering that it was Mandaluyong City who had pursued the concept studies and surveys to build an efficient mass- transport system for the city.
They added that it was Mandaluyong City which secured the technical grant of Japan’s Meti, as well as the expressed interest of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) for possibly providing financing for the APM line.
The “Study on Medium Capacity Transit System Project in Metro Manila” conducted by TOSTEMS Inc., Oriental Consultants Global Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and the Japan Planning Transport Association (JTPA) that is under Meti, envisioned to build an APM system starting at the Mandaluyong City Hall and running through the inner city’s suburban areas, straight through the Ortigas central business district (CBD).
The new master plan, which was finished in late 2014, covers an estimated 19.6 kilometers, that will stretch from Taytay, Rizal, east of Metro Manila to Santa Mesa in Manila, running through the Ortigas CBD.
The Japanese experts had provided three options: 1) Santa Mesa-Boni Avenue-Ortigas CBD-Taytay City; 2) V. Mapa-Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas CBD-Taytay; and 3) Gilmore-Ortigas-Taytay City.
Option 1 will be the longest, spanning an estimated 19.6 km, an elevated section of 17.1 km and an underground section of 2.5 km. It is considered to be the most advantageous for Mandaluyong residents, since it will pass through the city’s residential areas.
Option 2 will span 18.4 km with an elevated section of 16.2 km and an underground section of 2.2 km. The advantage of the line is it will connect to the Edsa-bound Metro Rail Transit 3 at Shaw boulevard, and with the Light Rail Transit Line 2 at the V. Mapa station.
Option 3 will be the shortest, as well as cheapest, running mostly along the entire stretch of Ortigas Avenue and Ortigas Avenue Extension. It is envisioned to have a span of 14.8 km, and will be fully elevated.
The project, Japanese experts said, seeks to reduce traffic congestion in Metro Manila, especially in the section from Taytay City up to the Ortigas CBD; strengthen the eastern side of Metro Manila with the installation of a track-guided transport system, and contribute to the revitalization of economic activities in Metro Manila.
The eastern Metro Manila APM project is projected to cost at least $1.043 billion including the actual construction of the guideway track, electromechanical systems and rolling stock/APM coaches, including an additional rolling stock that will be purchased in 2029.
If the approval process will be completed by 2016, the Japanese technical experts said the project will be completed, and commercial operations can be started by 2023.
14 comments
Abaya, hands-off!! Palpak ka.
The option that will benefit most commuters should prevail, and not the one that will mostly benefit only the city and residents of Mandaluyong. It does’nt matter that the project was initiated or spearheaded by the city of Mandaluyong. It’s the whole Filipino taxpayers that will shoulder the cost of the project, not the taxpayers of Mandaluyong city alone. How myopic and selfish can the city officials be, to monkey wrench a project that would benefit a majority of the commuting public?
It was an obligation for me to express it. The resolution had correspondences from the experts who gave the technical grant to lobby to inform dotc is making the wrong choice. To completely benefit the whole line and increases revenue shortens loans burden, service all cities and intercinnects line 2 and mrt3. Dotc went for the shortest alignment cutting the alignment in half. For reason only known to them. It was not out of selfishness it is about the technical right and wrong. Whos was deprived by cutting the alignment? Mandaluying, pasig, san juan, manila. The line 2 connected cities while the option chosen by dotc limited the areas who will benefit to the line to taytay cainta only.
Funny comment. Read the article.
Ano ba vested interest ng mandaluyong o ng ibang bayan? Edi mass transport para sa mga tao.
If you read the article thorougly the dotc chose the cheapest option that deprived the majority of an entire technical, feasible alignment provided by experts to benefit not just mandaluyong, but the rest of the entire cities within metro manila hehe
Mali intindi mo mr. Brightside .
Mali, baka? Maari mali rin ang sinasabi mo Ms.Mr. or whatever Pinnkyc. Mandaluyong city and its supposed experts does not have a monopoly of what is right or wrong for the commuting public in general. It’s just another government organization or office as the DOTC, plague with incompetence and the lack of urgency to implement much needed projects.
Wag mona ipilit basta maka comment ka lng. The experts are jica and ministry of economy trade and industry plus japan transport planning association. While dotc me experts ba? Engot nga at nakakasuhan sa mga trabaho. A complaint is being prepared against dotc sa ombudsman.
Sabi ko nga baka mali, at maari rin na mali ka. Ikaw ang nagpipilit na ikaw lang ang tama at mali lahat ang di sang ayon sa sinasabi mo. So what if there is a complaint being prepared or filed against DOTC, there are so many complaints filed against government officials and institutions alike, whether they are right or wrong by individuals or groups with vested interest.
Sa resolution given to media there are emails from the feasibility grant requesting the city to
Oppose
From the japanese sponsors for an ODA. That it was wrong to choose the option that eliminated half of the alignment that is supposed to benefit not just the financial worthiness to pay the loan but for the rest of the cities deprived of the mass transport system.
And the reason why apm is chosen because its been a problem for the govt to maintain steel rail based transport. Ito gulong nlng bibilhin khit ipeke na. Minimal maintenance conpared to the existing ststems ginagawang ppp dahil engot ang dotc. Gulong nlng at tutal utang naman edi yung mpakinabangan ng mas marami. Ang pinili yung pinka maigsi.
If the governmnet will build a new LRT line from Gilmore to Taytay, the government should also build a line that will start from V. Mapa Sta Mesa that will traverse Shaw Boulevard and the Marikina Valley going to Rosario Pasig, Marikina, San Mateo, Rodriguez to San Jose Del Monte City. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b6ea777b5bc1951cbb2daccaab1ee66572849d7690038db373db37ea6134067a.jpg