By Chino S. Leyco
The Department of Finance’s (DOF) privatization office is requesting the City of Makati to include the government’s Mile Long property in its subway project.
Gerard L. Chan, Privatization and Management Office (PMO) chief said that the city government along with the Makati Subway proponent Philippine Infradev Holdings, Inc. may consider a Mile Long station.
“We’re also talking to the Makati City government because they have plans to do a subway, we’re also telling if they want one subway stop to be there, near the entrance of the Skyway,” Chan told reporters.
Chan said that the proposed Mile Long station could be a transport hub for Metro Manila’s primary central business district.
“The idea is, this will be a gateway to Makati particularly we have Skyway there,” the government’s chief privatization officer said. “This is the other gateway to Makati.”
As of June 2019, 2.9-hectare Mile Long property has 128 establishments occupying 219 of its 309 available units, representing a 71 percent occupancy rate.
Last month, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay and Philippine Infradev Chairman Ren Jinhua signed the joint venture agreement for the $3.5-billion subway project in the country’s premier business location.
Philippine Infradev, formerly IRC Properties, Inc., earlier received the green light to proceed with the subway project after the firm hurdled a 60-day competitive Swiss Challenge and obtained the approval from City Council.
Philippine Infradev also submitted to the Makati government a $350-million performance bond for the project, which was a pre-condition for the signing of the joint venture agreement with the city.
The $3.5-billion Makati City Subway, to be known as MkTr, is touted as the biggest public- private partnership project for a local government unit.
Earlier, Antonio Tiu, Philippine Infradev president and chief executive, announced the completion of a six-month soil testing along the proposed alignment of the 10-kilometer intra-city subway system with no adverse findings.
Binay welcomed the project, saying it would benefit Makatizens and even non-Makati residents since it will connect key points and cut travel time within the city. She stressed there would be no cash out from the city government.
Thus, Makati would only contribute land it currently owns and which will be used in the subway system.
The proposed 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. 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.