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It’s a go for Japan-funded MRT3 rehab, says NEDA


The Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee has approved the rehabilitation of glitch-plagued Metro Rail Transit Line 3, to be funded by official development assistance (ODA) from Japan.

The P22.061-billion project was approved on Thursday, August 16, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said in a statement.

“This development just means that there is no stopping the rehabilitation of the entire MRT3 system,” Department of Transportation (DOTr) Director for Communication Goddess Libiran told GMA News Online on Friday.

The MRT3 rehab will start in the third quarter of 2018 and be completed in the first quarter of 2021, according to NEDA.

“We are expecting the loan agreement signing at the end of this month or early next month. Takeover of the Japanese maintenance contractor shall commence after that,” Libiran said.

Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. and its technical partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, will start the rehabilitation and maintenance works on MRT3 in August, the DOTr said on July 17.

The Sumitomo-Mitsubishi team is expected to come on board soon after the Philippines and Japan have signed the ODA.

“The project, executed by the Department of Transportation, is part of the agency’s strategy for restoring, upgrading, and regularly maintaining the MRT3 over the long- term,” NEDA said.

The rehabilitation works would increase the number of operating trainsets from 15 to 18 per hour, increase the maximum train speed to 60 kilometers per hour, and shorten the headway to 200 seconds.

The trains, power supply system, radio system, CCTV system, public address system, and signaling system, are covered by the rehabilitation agreement, NEDA said.

“With the upcoming rehabilitation of the MRT 3, we expect improvements in service efficiency and security of the existing train line,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.

“Over the long-term, we envision the MRT to be a very convenient and efficient mode of transportation that will encourage car owners to shift to public transportation, thereby reducing traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” the Cabinet official noted.

In December 2017, the Philippines and Japan exchanged several notes verbale on a government-to-government agreement for a Japanese service provider to take over the maintenance and rehabilitation of MRT3.

The overall rehabilitation is expected to take 43 months—31 months for simultaneous rehabilitation and maintenance works and 12 months for the liability against defects on the part of the contractor. —VDS, GMA News

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