MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has approved six projects, including the North-South commuter railway project, as well as the re-bidding of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway project.
“Most of these projects aim to have a more reliable and efficient transport infrastructure system. These are consistent with the government’s thrust to increase investment in connective infrastructure,” Socio Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.
Malacanang said the NEDA Board, chaired by President Aquino, approved two projects approved under the North-South Railway masterplan — the Phase 1 of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, estimated at P117.3 billion; and the P170-billion North-South Railway Project – South Line.
Phase 1 of the NSCR project involves the construction of a 36.7-km narrow-gauge elevated commuter railway from Malolos to Tutuban, using the PNR right-of-way with 10 stations and a depot at Valenzuela. This is targeted to be implemented from 2015 with a 35-year operation period starting 2020.
On the other hand, the NSRP- South Line project, a PPP project, is composed of commuter railway operations between Tutuban and Calamba; and long haul railway operations between Tutuban and Legaspi, and on the branch line between Calamba and Batangas and an extension between Legaspi and Matnog.
Also approved by the NEDA Board were the P5.1 billion Panguil Bay Bridge Project and the P6.7 billion Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway project.
The Panguil Bay project involves the construction of a bridge across Panguil Bay, which will connect the Tangub city in Misamis Occidental and Tubod in Lanao del Norte.
On the other hand, the TPLEX project involves the widening of the expressway by two lanes, one lane per direction from Urdaneta in Pangasinan to Rosario in La Union.
CALAX rebidding
The NEDA Board also confirmed its previous approval of the NLEX-SLEX Connector project on an unsolicited mode, subject to Swiss challenge.
The P20-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Project involves the construction and operation and maintenance of a 13.4 kilometer 4-lane elevated expressway over the PNR right-of-way, which starts in Caloocan City and ends in Buendia, Makati.
Also approved by the NEDA Board was the re-bidding of the CALAX project, with a minimum bid price of P20.1 billion.
The DPWH earlier said the CALAX project bidding will undergo a shorter one-stage process where both technical and financial bids will be open.
The Office of the President issued the decision to rebid the P35 billion project on November 19, 2014, acting on a petition filed by San Miguel Corp.’s Optimal Infrastructure Development.
A consortium led by the Ayala-Aboitiz group, Team Orion, submitted the highest bid for the project in June when it offered P11.65 billion, while San Miguel was disqualified due to a typographical error in its security guarantee.
San Miguel claimed that its bid was P20.105 billion. It then filed a 37-page Notice of Appeal before the Office of the President on June 27.
ABS-CBN News, 16 February 2015
