The Philippines and France have signed agreements on three local transport development projects to be undertaken with the involvement of French companies.
The signing rites were part of the agenda tackled during the two-day state visit of French President Francois Hollande to the Philippines from February 26 to February 27.
The three projects involve the contract to design and construct the Manila Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 extension; the agreement to manage, operate, and maintain the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX); and the credit facility agreement (CFA) to finance the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
On February 26, the Letter of Award for the design and construction of LRT Line 1 extension was signed by the Manila Light Rail Transit Corporation and a consortium composed of Paris-based global contractor Bouygues Publics Travaux and leading transportation supplier Alstrom Transport.
The project to be implemented under a private-public partnership (PPP) scheme entails extending the existing LRT 1 between Baclaran and Cavite with an elevated 12-kilometer leg having eight new stations, and upgrading the existing system between Roosevelt and Baclaran.
This new transportation system aims to offer Manilans a safe, comfortable, and rapid access service to the Manila City center and contribute to improved mobility in Manila.
On the other hand, the credit facility agreement for the design, construction, and supervision of the Cebu BRT project was signed by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima for the Philippines and Agence Française de Développement (AFD, or French Agency for Development) Asia Department Head Pascal Pacaut for France.
Under the CFA, the AFD will provide loans amounting to US$57.5 million for the Cebu BRT project, which will be implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communications in coordination with the Cebu City Government. The project is intended to improve the urban passenger transport system in Cebu City in terms of quality and level of service, safety, and environmental efficiency.
Meanwhile, Hollande and President Benigno Aquino III also witnessed the signing of the agreement between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) on the management, operation, and maintenance of SCTEX, a 94-kilometer expressway in northern Luzon.
Under the agreement, BCDA will assign to MNTC all its rights, interests, and obligations to manage, operate, and maintenance the expressway under a concession term of 35 years or until October 30, 2043.
With the assignment, MNTC will pay BCDA P3.5 billion, and both will have an equal share in gross toll revenues from SCTEX.
BCDA will retain all the rights, interests, and obligations relating to the design, construction, and financing of the expressway.
Aside from these projects, the two Presidents also witnessed the signing of several agreements on the protection of the environment and marine resources, on higher education and research, and on tourism.
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