Source: Philippine Star, 08 April 2012
MANILA, Philippines – A concession agreement was entered last April 3, 2012 between the Philippine government through the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Ayala Corporation for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Daang Hari-SLEx Link Road.
The four-kilometer Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway Link Road Project bagged by the Ayala group during the December 2011 open, transparent and competitive bidding at the DPWH central office is the very first infrastructure-building project auctioned by the President Benigno S. Aquino administration under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.
The concession agreement was signed by DPWH secretary Rogelio L. Singson and Ayala Corporation chairman and chief executive officer Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala with DPWH undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut, DPWH assistant secretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral, and Ayala Corporation managing directors John Eric T. Francia and Ginaflor C. Oris as witnessed.
Secretary Singson said that the Daang Hari-SLEx Link Road Project would provide strategic access to the Cavite and Laguna area and much-needed relief to traffic in the congested Alabang-Zapote Road and Commerce Avenue.
Daang Hari-SLEx Link Road Project is a key component of the DPWH Metro Manila Urban Expressway Network Master Plan which intends to provide a high-standard highway within a 200-kilometer radius of Metro Manila
The Daang Hari-SLEx Link Road will be an additional access between Metro Manila and Cavite connecting rapidly growing towns of Imus, Dasmariñas and Bacoor to SLEx near the Susana Heights Interchange.
The DPWH chief welcomed the entry of Ayala Corporation as new key player in the tollways operation and is expected to further raise the standard for convenience and safety for motorists and travellers.
He also looks forward to awarding two (2) or more projects namely the NAIA Expressway Phase 2 Project and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx)-South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) Connector Project in addition to construction of more bridges and schoolbuildings in coordination with Department of Education.
Private sector financing in the construction, operation and maintenance of key infrastructure undertakings would also enable the government to channel funds for the upgrading and improvement of national roads and bridges nationwide, with the national arterial road targeted to be 100 percent paved by 2014 and national bridges 100 percent permanent by 2016, said Singson.
A very much delighted Mr. Zobel de Ayala said that this initial venture of the Ayala Corporation in the transport infrastructure under the government’s PPP program would provide significant opportunities for synergies within the Ayala group, as it cuts travel time to residential and commercial projects of the Ayala group in the rapidly growing part of the metropolis.
The chair of Ayala Corporation also expressed his deep appreciation to the men and women of DPWH as well as partner government agencies for the transparent, competitive and professional handling of the bidding for this project.
Civil works is expected to commence by May 2012 and the expressway expected to be fully operational on or before November 2013 following the Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) arrangement for a period of 30 years.
The Ayala conglomerate is getting into this project in partnership with Getinsa Ingineieria, a Spanish engineering company.
