Metro Manila cable car project up for Cabinet-level ICC approval

The government’s plan to install a cable car system in Metro Manila to address traffic congestion in the country’s economic center is getting closer to fruition.

This developed after Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Friday that the proposed $100-million Manila Urban Car Cable Project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was already up for approval by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), which he chairs.

Dominguez disclosed the latest development to French Ambassador to the Philippines Michèle Boccoz in a recent virtual meeting.

Boccoz said France was willing to provide financing support through a “highly concessional loan” for the proposed urban cable car system, which will be the first not only in the Philippines, but in Asia.

To recall, in 2018, the French government granted the Philippine €450,000 to finance a feasibility study for the possible establishment of a cable car transport system in Metro Manila. 

Sought for details, Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddess Libiran said the feasibility study as well as the other required studies by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) were already completed by the French consultants.

“The project was already endorsed by DOTr to NEDA for evaluation and approval last March 16, 2021,” Libiran said.

Proposed infrastructure projects - whether locally or foreign funded - have to undergo an initial assessment by the NEDA’s ICC technical board.

Then, it will be reviewed by the  ICC-Cabinet Committee. The NEDA Board, chaired by the President, gives the final go-signal.

LOOK: Proposed alignment for the Manila Urban Cable Car Project pic.twitter.com/1zyM4tgwrz

— Ted Cordero (@Ted_Cordero) June 4, 2021

The proposed project initially involves the construction of a cable-propelled mass transport system spanning about 4.5 kilometers (km) along the Santolan-Eastwood-Pasig corridor.

The selected alignment for the project mostly follows the Marikina River profile.

The line is proposed to begin from LRT Line 2-Santolan Station in Marikina City all the way to Ortigas Avenue in Rosario, Pasig City.

Along the alignment are six stations to be located in the following areas:

• LRT2 Santolan Station, Marikina City
• Libis, Quezon City
• Eastwood, Quezon City
• Santolan, Pasig City
• Manggahan, Pasig City
• Rosario, Pasig City

The proposed technology for the line is a “monocable detachable gondola lift with closed vehicles (cabins) with 10 seating capacity,” according to a project briefing provided by the DOTr. —NB, GMA News