With 2014 a “banner year” in the country’s aviation sector, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said it plans to shift its focus to the railway sector in 2015, where significant improvements are much needed.
“2014 has been decorated with noteworthy achievements in our aviation sector: from getting the nods of the US FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) and the European Union, to the start of full operations at NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) 3 and the notable improvements at NAIA 1. We are proud to say that it has been a good year for air transportation,” Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a statement.
“We look forward to more airport accomplishments in 2015, but we will give special attention to much-needed upgrades for land transportation next year, especially for our rail lines,” Abaya added.
Aviation accomplishments
DOTC listed its major achievements for 2014 in the aviation sector.
- Starting the year was the P1.3-billion rehabilitation of NAIA Terminal 1 to ensure the building’s structural integrity after more than 30 years of existence without renovation. The NAIA 1 project will be 95% complete by end-February 2015, with some finishing works to be completed by May.
- Both in April 2014, the US FAA upgraded the country’s status from Category 2 to Category 1, and the European Union lifted the ban on Philippine aircraft operations in the region. These landmark achievements spearheaded by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines indicated that the country’s aviation safety standards have met international criteria, paving the way for the mounting of more Philippine-U.S. and Philippine-Europe flights.
- Also in April, DOTC awarded its first airport project under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme: the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) project. This entails construction of a new world-class international terminal by 2018 and refurbishment of the existing terminal building by 2019. The 25-year concession was bagged by the GMR-Megawide consortium that formally took over operations at MCIA last month and promised to launch immediate service improvements within its first three months of management.
- In May, the transport agency awarded the US$82.9-million design-and-build contract for the Puerto Princesa International Airport to the Kumho-GS joint venture, which has until end-2016 to construct new passenger and cargo terminal buildings, aprons, taxiways, and a new air navigation system.
- Still in May, a newly built modern P417-million passenger terminal building at the Clark International Airport was opened, boosting the hub’s capacity by 1.5 million passengers annually.
- In early August, full airline operations were launched at NAIA Terminal 3, a much-needed development which was 17 years in the making. This enabled the Manila International Airport Authority to start the transfer of the five biggest airlines from NAIA 1 to NAIA 3, substantially decongesting the former by 3.5 million passengers per year, and restoring it to its design capacity of 4.5 million annual passengers.
- Also in October, the DOTC’s rehabilitation of the Tacloban Airport, destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda less than a year earlier, was completed.
- In November, installation of night landing equipment at the Laguindingan Airport was completed, enabling evening flights to begin within the year.
- Finally, 2014 is ending with the agency starting the bidding for the enhanced operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts for six airports in the Visayas and Mindanao under the PPP program. These are the Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Puerto Princesa, Bohol, and Laguindingan Airports.
Apart from these projects, the DOTC is also working on the new Bicol airport in Daraga, the new Bohol airport in Panglao, and the development of Sangley airport as a primary gateway to Manila in the long term.
Railway developments
In contrast to the numerous achievements in aviation, the railway sector was largely associated with multiple glitches and service interruptions at the Metro Rail Transit III (MRT-3) line, along with the unfortunate overshooting incident in August 2014, DOTC said.
The year began with awarding of the concession for the Automatic Fare Collection System PPP project in January. This project will provide a common tap-and-go ticketing scheme for the MRT-3, along with the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 (LRT-1 and LRT-2), by September 2015 at the latest.
Awarding of the contract to supply 48 brand-new light rail vehicles (LRVs) for MRT-3 took place in February 2014, after a temporary restraining order (TRO) secured by MRT Holdings II against the project had expired. The prototype unit is expected to be delivered and tested in September 2015, to be followed by the delivery of three to four additional LRVs per month until completion sometime towards the end of 2016. This project will increase the number of train sets from three-car to four-car configurations, and lessen intervals between trains from 3 minutes down to 2.5 minutes.
In March, the Philippine National Railway (PNR) opened two new stations in Cabuyao and Mamatid in Laguna, extending the reach of its commuter service. Earlier this month, PNR opened its newest station in Calamba.
In April, DOTC awarded its largest PPP project thus far, the P65-billion LRT-1 Cavite Extension project, which will stretch by 2019 the current system by 11.7 kilometers, starting from Baclaran going southwards to Niyog in Bacoor.
Shortly thereafter, a bevy of MRT-3-related issues grabbed public attention, prompting government to launch multiple rehabilitation projects including other capacity expansion projects, rail replacements, upgrading of the signaling system, traction motor overhauling, and restoration of conveyance facilities. Most of these rehabilitation efforts will be launched and completed in 2015.
Apart from these projects, DOTC is also working on the LRT-2 extension to Masinag, plus an O&M PPP bid for the entire line. It has also green-lighted the MRT-7 project which will run from the North EDSA area up to San Francisco del Monte, Bulacan via Commonwealth Avenue.
Land transport initiatives
For road projects, the year started with the groundbreaking for the Skyway Stage 3 project, with construction starting in April. Envisioned to ease traffic in Metro Manila by linking the North Luzon Expressway and the South Luzon Expressway via an elevated toll road, this project is scheduled for completion in April 2017.
The Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) license plate standardization project took off in May, which will replace all nine existing license plate designs with a uniform and modern license plate design.
In June, two important issuances to instil road discipline and safety were implemented: the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic Act No. 10586—or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Law—was published by the DOTC and the LTO; and Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2014-01 of the DOTC, LTO, and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) took effect.
The IRR outlines the procedures and penalties for the illegal act of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, while the JAO increases the penalties for violations of road transport rules and regulations, including a P1-million fine for colorum or unauthorized operation of public utility buses.
DOTC is currently bidding out two Integrated Transport System (ITS) PPP projects: ITS-Southwest for the construction and operation of an intermodal terminal on Coastal Road, and ITS-South for one in the FTI complex along SLEX. These ITS terminals will serve as transfer points for provincial buses entering Metro Manila, in locations where they will not add to congestion in the metropolis and intersect with other modes of transportation such as railways, city buses, and taxis for passenger convenience.
The agency is also developing the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Cebu. BRT systems are intended to also be implemented in heavily congested corridors in Metro Manila, such as the Quezon City Hall-Manila City Hall route via Quezon Avenue.
Maritime developments
For the maritime sector, DOTC noted the efforts of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to defend the national territory and sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
A total of 14 ports destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda were fully rehabilitated by DOTC and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) at various times over the past year.
“Finally, port congestion issues at the Port of Manila have been soundly addressed by the PPA, in coordination with many other government agencies, throughout 2014,” DOTC concluded. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
