By Emmie V. Abadilla
Shortly after breaking ground for the over P2-billion Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 linking Tutuban, Manila with Malolos, Bulacan, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) conducted the pre-bidding for the 2nd Phase of the project, the Malolos City-Clark segment.
A total of 21 companies from 7 Asian Development Bank (ADB ) Member Countries and representatives from 4 embassies attended the pre-bidding for Phase 2 of the project, the DOTr confirmed over the weekend.
Specifically, the DOTr and the Philippine National Railways (PNR), through the project’s procuring agent, the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), conducted the Pre-Bidding for Contact Packages N-01 to N-03, which covers 44.8-km. and 5 stations from Malolos, Bulacan to the Clark Freeport Zone.
This provided a venue for interested bidders to seek clarification on the bidding documents which the DOTr published at the end of January, 2019.
ADB will finance the Civil Works Contract Packages, following the bank's Guidelines for Procurement of Works, through Open Competitive Bidding.
A couple more ADB-financed Civil Works Contract Packages will be launched by 2nd Quarter 2019, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) financed Electromechanical Systems and Rolling Stock (trains) Contract Packages will be launched soon after.
“This is the largest railway project the Philippines has embarked on since 1917. It has never been duplicated," says PNR General Manager Junn Magno. "We want this pre-bid process to be open, fair and equitable."
PNR Clark Phase 2 will feature the country's first airport express railway service, which will connect passengers from Manila to Clark International Airport in less than an hour.
One of the largest projects in the Duterte Administration's infrastructure program, the 147-kilometer, 37-stations of the P777.5-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system will seamlessly integrate the 38-km. Tutuban-Malolos segment, the 53-km. Malolos-Clark segment, and the 56-km. Manila-Calamba segment, connecting 26 cities and municipalities across the regions of Central Luzon, NCR, and CALABARZON.