INFRASTRUCTURE remains one of the priorities of the government, so much so that it targets to commercially open the P287-billion North-South Railway System, which will run from Manila to Sorsogon, in a matter of five years.
With the Philippines lagging behind its peers in terms of infrastructure, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya said his office is more determined to turn plans into reality.
One of them, he said, is the multibillion-peso commuter-rail system, which will be auctioned off sometime this year.
The first phase of the facility will involve the construction of a 36.7-kilometer narrow gauge elevated commuter railway from Malolos in Bulacan to Tutuban in Manila. It is seen to be completed by the third quarter of 2017.
The second phase, which will extend the commuter rail up to Matnog, Sorsogon, will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2019.
“The system will be operational four years into the term of the next president. So it is critical at this point that we make the right plans and decisions and bid projects out, because it takes time before these kinds of projects to be completed,” Abaya said in a news briefing on Tuesday.
The two-phase deal will be implemented under the official development assistance and Public-Private Partnership Program.
“For a mega city like Manila, the clear consequence of a growing economy is the growing capacity of our people to own their own vehicles— and clearly, given our traffic, that should not be the way to go. The solution to that natural tendency is to develop mass transit systems,” the transport chief said. “Thus the government is investing in rails, in bus rapid transits or BRTs, likewise, reforming the bus system.”
He said the government aims to entice Filipinos to shift to public transport system and “eventually migrate private owners into mass transit systems.”
The North-South Railway System is just one of the six transport projects approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board late Monday.
Among the key infrastructure projects approved include the P20-billion North Luzon Expressway (Nlex)-South Luzon Expressway (Slex) Connector Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways, which will be subjected to a Swiss Challenge.
The Nlex-Slex Connector Project involves the construction and operation and maintenance of a 13.4-km, four-lane elevated expressway over the Philippine National Railways’ right-of-way which starts in Caloocan City and ends in Buendia, Makati City. It will connect the Nlex and the Slex to decongest traffic in Metro Manila.
The Neda Board, chaired by President Aquino, also approved the expansion of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) project of the DPWH from two (one lane per direction) to four lanes (two lanes per direction). The project entails an estimated government support of P2 billion.
Full project cost for the TPLEx Ultimate Stage is P24.3 billion for the design, financing, construction and operations and maintenance of the 88.5-km expressway from the terminus of the Subic-Clark-Talac Expressway in Tarlac City to Rosario, La Union.
The planning body also gave its go-signal to the rebidding of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway project of the DPWH, for the “highest premium” for the government, with a floor price of P20.1 billion. The third PPP project approved by the Neda Board is estimated to cost P35.4 billion.
With a total of 47.018 kms, the project will start from the Cavite Expressway in Kawit and will end at the Slex-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna. There will be nine interchanges in areas, such as Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, Technopark and a toll barrier before Slex.
Also approved by the Neda Board were the P5.09-billion Panguil Bay Bridge Project and two projects under the North-South Railway masterplan.
The Panguil Bay Bridge Project, which will be undertaken by the DPWH, involves the construction of a bridge across Panguil Bay connecting Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and the municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte. It is expected to reduce travel time along the 100-km national road between Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, and Tubod to 37 minutes from 2.5 hours.
The project’s total estimated cost will be fully financed by the government. Construction of the bridge is expected to begin this year and will be finished by 2018.
The government has awarded nine PPP contracts since the program was launched in 2010. The Aquino administration aims to sign at least 15 PPP contracts by the time the President steps down from office in 2016.