MANILA, Philippines – After 3 postponements, a bidding schedule for the Aquino administration’s biggest infrastructure project will no longer be pushed back.
This was according to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya in an interview with reporters over the weekend. The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is overseeing the auction of the operation and maintenance of the Light Rail Transit Line-1 (LRT-1).
“This will be the last (extension),” he said, referring to the new deadline — August 15 — for the submission of bid proposals from 4 pre-qualified groups.
“We get to be blamed for the delays,” he added.
On Friday, July 26, the DOTC’s bids and awards committee headed by Transportation Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla issued a bid bulletin allowing bidders more time to prepare their bid proposals after the release of the concession agreement.
The DOTC has earlier set June 15 as the deadline but was moved again to July 30.
The DOTC secretary said he expects that none of the bidders will ask for another extension. “The last contentious issue is the concession agreement and we have forwarded the final version already. So, I am confident this will be the last.”
“I may have to resign if this is not awarded within the year,” said Abaya.
In November 2012, the DOTC committee has cleared the following business groups to proceed with the bidding process:
- Light Rail Manila Consortium (Metro Pacific Investments Corp (MPIC) and Ayala Corp)
- MTD-Samsung Group (MTD Capital Bhd. and Samsung C&T Corp)
- San Miguel Infrastructure Resources Inc. (San Miguel Infra Resources Inc., GS Engineering and construction Corp. and POSCO Engineering and Construction Co Ltd)
- DMCI Holdings Inc. (with Marubeni Corp. and Sistema Tranporte Collectivo Metrore
The P60 billion project aims to extend the current 20.7 kilometer rail system from Baclaran in Pasay City all the way to Bacoor in Caviteextends the system to Cavite.
The southbound extension of LRT 1 will increase the train’s span to 32.4 km, with approximately 10.5 km of the extension elevated and 1.2 km at grade. – Rappler.com
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