Japanese consortium bags P11-B contract to build Metro Manila Subway

A consortium of Japanese companies bagged the contract to build has been awarded Metro Manila Subway for P11 billion contract, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Wednesday.

“For the subway, the consortium has been awarded ... The winning bidder is OCGlobal, consisting of six Japanese firms,” Diokno told reporters during a breakfast forum in Manila.

The Japanese consortium consists of the following companies

• Oriental Consultants Global Co. Ltd.

• Tokyo Metro Co. Ltd.

• Katahira & Engineers International

• Pacific Consultants Co. Ltd.

• Tonichi Engineering Consultants Inc.

• Metro Development Co. Ltd.

“The amount involved is P11 billion. This is for general contracting for the subway,” Diokno said.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier said the government was targeting to break ground for the Metro Manila Subway project in mid-December 2018.

The initial phase of the project covers the first three stations with which the Metro Manila Subway can start operating.

The Mindanao Avenue-Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue stations are scheduled to start operating in May 2022.

The loan agreement for the project, amounting to ¥104.530 billion or around P51 billion, was signed between the Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) last March.

The country’s first subway rail system stretches 30 kilometers, with a total of 14 stations from Mindanao Ave. in Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City.

It has a provision for a 5-km extension and two additional stations to connect with the Light Rail Transit Line 1.

The subway train is expected to reduce commuting time from Quezon City to the airport to under 40 minutes.

The entire railway system is targeted to be completed in 2025. —VDS, GMA News