Marcos leads ceremonial signing of south commuter section of NSCR
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday led the ceremonial signing of the last civil works contracts for the construction of the south commuter section of the 147-km North-South Commuter Railway project.
The remaining civil works contract packages?S-01, S-03a and S-03c?constitute 14.9 kilometers of the NSCR's rail viaducts and stations from Manila to Taguig, and in Muntinlupa.
The contracts also include the construction of six modern stations at Blumentritt, Buendia, EDSA, the new Senate building, Bicutan and Sucat.
During the ceremony held in Malacanang, Marcos sees the signing of the remaining NSCR contract packages “with great optimism and renewed hope for our country’s future.”
“As we hold the signing of Contract Packages S-01, S- 03a, and S-03c, we continue to show our commitment to realizing the dream of a more efficient and inclusive public transportation system that every Filipino deserve,” President Marcos said.
“With the signing of these three contract packages that cover a total of around 14.9 kilometers of at-grade and railway viaduct structures, we will be a step closer to our goal of serving around 800,000 commuters daily in 2029,” the President said.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the three contract packages, with a combined cost of P52 billion, will be used “to build a world-class railway line equipped with the most modern facilities.”
“The contractors must be able to build with the least disruption to Metro Manila’s already chaotic daily routine,” Bautista said.
“We want to impress on the contractors the importance of meeting schedules so the whole NSCR project can be completed as promised,” the Transport chief added.
CP S-01, awarded to Joint Venture of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk, and PT PP (Persero) Tbk (“Adhi ? PT PP JV”), includes the construction of 1.2-km of railway viaduct structure and the Blumentritt Station which will be linked to the existing Blumentritt Station of LRT-1.
CP S-03a, awarded to joint venture of Leighton Contractors (Asia) Ltd. and First Balfour Inc., includes 7.9 km of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure, including an elevated station at Buendia and at-grade stations at EDSA and Senate.
CP S-03c, awarded to Joint Venture of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk. and PT PP (Persero) Tbk, consists of 5.8 km of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure, including elevated stations at Bicutan and Sucat.
Bautista said “we will not tire thanking our financial partners for their support to this flagship rail project?the Asian Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the governments of Indonesia and Australia.”
The entire NSCR project is co-financed by the JICA and the ADB. Breakdown of funding is as follows:
・ ADB: P329.55 billion
・ JICA: P369.27 billion
・ PH Gov't: P174.78 billion
・ Total: P873.6 billion
“We inch closer to completing this longest rail system of the country through their assistance. Once completed, this railway will transform lives and communities,” Secretary Bautista said.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said the contracts’ civil works will commence between the fourth quarter of 2023 and first quarter or 2024.
A flagship project under the Build Better More Program, the construction of the 147-km NSCR system aims to seamlessly connect Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna by linking Metro Manila to its neighboring provinces.
Once completed and fully operational, Chavez said the NSCR project will not only provide quality commuter-train service but also contribute to the economic progress in the Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces. DOTr
