By Marjaleen Ramos
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday said the construction for Metro Manila Subway project is set to start next month.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade (Department of Transportation's Official Facebook Page / MANILA BULLETIN)
“That's what we are working. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) has agreed with this. The contractors, contract awards have been made, and that is the thing that we will do,” Tugade said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart.
Tugade said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was aiming for "partial operability" of the subway before President Duterte's term ends.
"Finish, no. Partial operability, yes,” he said.
He said the railway institute that will be built as a training center for future workers, and officers of the subway will be part of the partial operability of the project.
“It involves the putting up of a depot in a railway institute in Valenzuela. JICA came in with an idea that if we are putting up the depot and the railway institute, why don't we put a station in Valenzuela,” Tugade continued.
The 24/7 construction and partial operability are the two things which the department have implemented in the term of Duterte, Tugade said.
“Hindi mo tatapusin yung proyekto para ma-operate. Designed it in a matter na kahit konti lang, mag-ooperate na. Kasi pag na operate na yan at naumpisahan, yung susunod na administrasyon mahihirapan ‘yan na hindi ituloy yan,” he said.
He also said that before implementing such projects, it must undergo feasibility studies.
“Bakit nag umpisa po ng 2016? Kasi before that year, nung ginawa yang proyekto na yan, wala pa po kami, kararating lang namin. Hindi naman ho pagdating, pag upo, umpisahan na natin yung subway. Hindi ho pwede yun,” Tugade said.
“This administration has actually shortened the process, what normally took more than a year before, tinatapos po ‘yan in nine to six months…” he added.
Tugade had earlier said the first three stations that will be constructed at Mindanao Avenue, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue.
Tugade, meanwhile, dismissed Sen. Ralph Recto's comment that the DOTr was not close to finishing a major airport, seaport, or railway project, which he attributed to poor planning, and failing to put in place measures to anticipate right-of-way (ROW) problems.
“When you see international airports being completed like in Panglao Airport, is that poor planning? When you have a passenger terminal in Cagayan de Oro whose capacity is 2000 or 3000, is that poor planning? When you have finished 63 airport projects all over the country, is that? When you have completed more than 200 seaport projects is that poor planning?” Tugade pointed out.
“It was fair that there was appropriate planning. Eh paano naman nanganak ‘tong mga project na ito?” he added.