Makati subway builder allots P20M for UMak scholarship program

Makati City Subway Inc. (MCSI), the corporate vehicle that will develop the Makati subway system, has earmarked P20 million for a scholarship program for students, graduates, and professors of University of Makati (UMak).

MCSI and UMak signed a memorandum of agreement on Friday to create a scholarship program, which will be financed by the company, to be made available to qualified students, graduates and professors of the university.

"Under the MOA, qualified students, graduates or professors of Umak will have the opportunity to study and graduate from the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University in Shanghai, China, a Class A university renowned for its engineering, business and architecture programs; its civil engineering department has consistently ranked first in China for decades," the company said.

"Graduates of the scholarship program shall be given guaranteed employment by MCSI for management and/or technical positions in the Makati Subway System," it said.

In October 2018, the city government of Makati awarded the public-private partnership project to the consortium of Philippine Infradev (formerly IRC Properties).

The consortium counts as members Philippine Infradev and its Chinese partners Greenland Holdings Group, Jiangsu Provincial Construction Group Co. Ltd. Holdings Ltd., and China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.

The consortium formed MCSI to be the corporate vehicle that will undertake the construction, operation, and management of the Makati City subway project.

In December 2018, Philippine Infradev broke ground for the Makati Subway project.

Philippine Infradev hurdled a 60-day competitive Swiss Challenge and obtained the approval from the Makati City Council on July 19 for the construction, operation and management of the intra-city subway.

The Makati subway would connect key points in Makati like the current Central Business District at the corner of Ayala and Sen. Gil Puyat Avenues, Circuit City, Makati City Hall, University of Makati, Ospital ng Makati and other new growth areas within the city.

The subway will have up to 10 air-conditioned, underground island stations which entrances will be linked to destinations across the city. It can accommodate up to six car trains, with room for over 200 persons per car, with more than 700,000 passengers per day to be accommodated and served by the proposed mass transport system. — MDM, GMA News