DOTr signs deals for LRT-1, PNR extension projects

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) inked an agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation Friday for the procurement of new light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the Light Rail Transit-Line 1 (LRT-1).

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade and Mitsubishi Corp. Senior Vice President Tetsuji Nakagawa signed the deal for the acquisition of 120 new LRVs for the rail line’s 12-kilometer extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.

The LRVs are designed with four LRV configuration. Each train set would have a minimum of 1,388 passengers and are energy efficient and have low maintenance cost.

Tugade ensured the smooth implementation of the LRT-1 South Extension Project.

“It is a beautiful day because we are putting life to a project that has been delayed for a long time. No way will I delay any further. No way will I procrastinate. It is high time to put this project in high motion,” said Tugade.

The first four LRVs are set to be delivered on August 31, 2020 while some 40 LRVs are expected to come on December 31, 2020.

Mitsubishi Corp. Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarile, the project subcontractor which is based in Spain, is expected to complete the delivery of 120 LRVs on December 31, 2021.
The LRT-1 Cavite Extension will start its construction next year and is poised to be completed within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The procurement contract was witnessed by Ambassador of Spain Luis Calvo Castrano, representatives from the Embassy of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) and high-ranking officials of the department.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) also signed a contract with NSTren Consortium for the construction of the Manila-Clark Railway system.

NSTren Consortium, the project’s construction supervision consultant, will handle the construction of the Tutuban-Malolos segment of the 106-kilometer rail system that will connect Manila and New Clark City, which is slated to begin December to January 2018.

The Tutuban-Malolos segment is targeted to be partially operational by 2020 and fully completed by 2021, while construction of the Malolos-New Clark City segment is seen to finish by 2022.

Also known as the North-South Commuter Railway Project, the Tutuban-Malolos segment was approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board in February 2015 with signing of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan in November 2015.

“The two contracts signed will not only pave the way for the delivery of railway infrastructure that will carry more than 1 million passengers per day by 2021, these contracts and the bidding processes that led to it has also saved the Filipino taxpayers close to PHP 5 billion,” said DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Timothy John Batan.

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https://twitter.com/TIPENitelymaybe/status/353750131344019456

Edited: Robi Domingo at Bench Uncut

DOTr eyes return of Sumitomo Corporation as MRT-3 maintenance provider

The maintenance and rehabilitation work is expected to begin before the year ends.

There is huge chance that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) might bring back Sumitomo Corporation and its technical partner Mitsubishi heavy industries in the maintenance and rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit or MRT-3.

This has been the statement of the Department of Transportation or DOTr, Wednesday. It also assures the public that the government is doing its best to improve the services of MRT.

According to DOTr Assistant Secretary for Rails Timothy John Batan, Sumitomo Corporation is the first company being considered by the Transportation Department as the maintenance provider of the rail system.

“That’s part of the options the Department of Transportation is looking into. Because you know, that joint venture is the one that designed and built the MRT-3 in 1998 until 2000 and they are ones maintaining the MRT since 2000 until 2012,” Batan said.

The DOTr targets to get the services of the said company through government to government agreement and not by bidding.

Philippine Transport officials are currently coordinating with the Japanese Government regarding the matter. The agreement is expected to be signed before the year ends.

“The G2G agreement will pave way for the Official Development Assistance or ODA that can be used by the DOTr to look for a maintenance service provider.

The DOTr said the contract would also contain the rehabilitation of MRT so the trains could return to its original performance.

However, the Transportation Department has yet to determine the amount it will pay Sumitomo for its services.

Sumitomo was the maintenance provider of MRT in the first 12 years of its operation.

It was also the company that designed the MRT.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation conducted another inspection earlier at the depot of MRT.

The inspection is in connection with the NBI’s investigation on the decoupling of coaches last November 16.

In the said inspection, MRT engineers showed NBI the system of attachment of trains. – Joan Nano | UNTV News & Rescue

https://www.untvweb.com/news/dotr-eyes-return-of-sumitomo-corporation-as-mrt-3-maintenance-provider/

DOTr announces 4-point strategy to improve MRT service

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday has announced a four-point strategy of “taking bold and strategic steps” to improve the services and to solve the problems troubling the Metro Rail Transit 3.

“A Four-Point Strategy is already being implemented, which involves: promoting accountability (termination of BURI); ensuring continued service delivery (establishment of the Maintenance Transition Team); contracting a qualified maintenance and rehabilitation service provider (Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy); putting in place a long-term, single-point-of-responsibility, operator and maintenance provider for MRT-3 (O&M Unsolicited Proposal),” DOTr said in a statement.

Promoting Accountability

Among these steps was to ‘promote accountability’ by the termination of the contract with BURI on November 6 due to its failure  to meet the performance indicators in the contract, to procure spare parts, to overhaul MRT-3’s train cars, as only 2 out of 43 train cars have been overhauled by BURI.

“These failures led to the many passenger unloading and train removal incidents during the 22 months that BURI was maintaining MRT-3…BURI’s termination is intended to promote accountability, and to ensure that taxpayers’ money (P54 million a month for maintenance and P907 million for the overhaul) is not spent on a non-performing service provider,” it added.

Continued Service Delivery

After the termination of the BURI contract, the DOTr has created a Maintenance Transition Team (MTT) that would maintain the system for 3-6 months while procuring a new and qualified maintenance service provider.

The MTT has also hired 450 former BURI employees. Meanwhile, LRTA and PNR also shared “highly qualified and experienced” railway engineers to the MTT.

“The condition of MRT-3’s spare parts inventory at take over further demonstrated BURI’s failure to purchase and maintain a sufficient level of spare parts. To address this, the DOTr created a special Bids and Award Committee (BAC), which, together with the MTT, is regularly convening to expeditiously procure the spare parts that BURI failed to purchase,” DOTr said.

Maintenance and Rehabilitation Service Provider

The department is also discussing with Japan for the possible return of Sumitomo Corporation and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as maintenance service provider of the MRT-3.

“A G2G (Government to government) agreement is scheduled to be signed before year-end…Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy designed, built, and maintained the MRT-3 in its first 12 years of operations,” DOTr said.

“The maintenance and rehabilitation contract is intended to have a term of 3 years, and will include the rehabilitation and restoration of the system to its original performance standards,” it added.

Long-Term, Single-Point-of-Responsibility, O&M Provider

The DOTr also said that the problems of MRT resulted from short-term and fragmented maintenance contracts and from “finger-pointing” due to having different entities maintaining and operating MRT-3.

To address this, the department pursued an Unsolicited Proposal for the 30-year operation and maintenance (O&M) of MRT-3

The DOTr also said they are already coordinating with the LTFRB and MMDA to expand the P2p bus fleet that will complement the MRT-3.

“Also, an independent safety audit by an ISO-certified and IFIA member certifier (International Federation of Inspection Agencies) will commence soon for the entire MRT-3 system, which is intended to give DOTr additional inputs on the interventions needed to rehabilitate and restore the system’s reliability,” DOTr said.

“With the bump in ridership expected as we approach the holidays, the public can be assured that the DOTr is pursuing all avenues to restore the MRT-3’s reliability and to continue ensuring the safety of its 500,000 daily riders,” it said.

Japan aid eyed in MRT 3 rehab

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) wants to bring back the Japanese group involved in the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) construction and design 18 years ago in a bid to resolve breakdowns that disrupt the journey of thousands of commuters on a near-daily basis.

The DOTr said yesterday it was holding high-level talks with the Japanese government for Sumitomo Corp. and its technical partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to maintain and rehabilitate the MRT 3 via an indicative three-year agreement—backed by a fresh loan from Japan.

It hopes to sign the agreement before the end of 2017.

Sumitomo-Mitsubishi maintained the MRT 3 for its first 12 years of operations. The agreement was not renewed in 2012 under the Aquino administration when the 17-kilometer MRT 3, which traverses the crucial Edsa highway, was already showing signs of strain.

Aquino-era officials said the tandem had imposed conditions they could not accept, including increasing the monthly maintenance fee to $2.2 million from $1.4 million while cutting back on certain responsibilities covering fare collection and the MRT 3 signaling system. Local companies were hired instead but the problems at the MRT 3 did not abate.

The DOTr’s announcement yesterday came less than a month since it formally terminated the contract of previous maintenance provider Busan Universal Rail halfway through its three-year agreement due to continued glitches and for not meeting certain obligations.

The new direction with Sumitomo also casts the spotlight on the MRT3 rehabilitation, maintenance and operations offer of Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which was already granted original proponent status. It likewise reflects the Duterte administration’s general skepticism on the private sector funding big infrastructure projects.

“The joint venture of Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is being closely considered due to its background and experience with the MRT 3,” the DOTr said in a statement.

The DOTr did not detail the target loan amount under the Japanese overseas development assistance (ODA) component. The department said the intention was for Sumitomo-Mitsubishi to “rehabilitate and restore the system to its original performance condition.”

“Due to under-investment in preventive maintenance and renewal works in recent years, the condition of MRT 3 has degraded to a state where maintenance works alone are no longer sufficient,” the DOTr said.

The department also clarified that these were direct talks with Japanese counterparts and that businessman Robert Sobrepeña was not involved. Sobrepeña, part of the group with private interests in the MRT 3, said last May that Sumitomo offered to rehabilitate the MRT 3 for $150 million (P7.5 billion).

https://business.inquirer.net/241699/japan-aid-eyed-mrt-3-rehab

MOVING FORWARD: BOLD AND STRATEGIC STEPS BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE MRT-3

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is taking bold and strategic steps to solve the problems that have been plaguing the MRT-3 for years.

A Four-Point Strategy is already being implemented, which involves:

- promoting accountability (termination of BURI);
- ensuring continued service delivery (establishment of the Maintenance Transition Team);
- contracting a qualified maintenance and rehabilitation service provider (Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy); 
- putting in place a long-term, single-point-of-responsibility, operator and maintenance provider for MRT-3 (O&M Unsolicited Proposal).

Point 1: Promoting Accountability

Last Nov. 6, DOTr terminated BURI’s maintenance service contract due to, among others, BURI’s non-performance of its obligations under the contract.

BURI failed to perform its maintenance obligations, both due to its inability to meet the performance indicators in the contract (e.g. number of trains running) and its failure to procure spare parts.

BURI also failed to perform its obligation to overhaul MRT-3’s train cars, pursuant to a schedule that was proposed by BURI itself. As of 21 November 2017, only 2 out of 43 train cars have been overhauled by BURI.

These failures led to the many passenger unloading and train removal incidents during the 22 months that BURI was maintaining MRT-3.

BURI’s termination is intended to promote accountability, and to ensure that taxpayers’ money (PhP54 million a month for maintenance and PhP907 million for the overhaul) is not spent on a non-performing service provider.

Point 2: Continued Service Delivery

The DOTr prepared for the take over of the maintenance of MRT-3 by creating a Maintenance Transition Team (MTT), which will maintain the system for 3-6 months while procuring a new and qualified maintenance service provider.

The MTT ensured that it has the necessary human resources, by directly hiring more than 450 former BURI employees. After months of delayed and partial salaries, the MTT has paid the direct hires their salaries in full and on time, which has boosted their morale.

The LRTA and PNR have also thrown in their support to the MTT, by sharing highly qualified and experienced railway engineers to the MTT.

The condition of MRT-3’s spare parts inventory at take over further demonstrated BURI’s failure to purchase and maintain a sufficient level of spare parts. To address this, the DOTr created a special Bids and Award Committee (BAC), which, together with the MTT, is regularly convening to expeditiously procure the spare parts that BURI failed to purchase.

Point 3: Maintenance and Rehabilitation Service Provider

High-level discussions with the Government of Japan are ongoing to pave the way for DOTr’s direct engagement of Sumitomo Corporation and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, under a Government to Government (G2G) Official Development Assistance (ODA) platform. A G2G agreement is scheduled to be signed before year-end.

Sumitomo and Mitsubishi Heavy designed, built, and maintained the MRT-3 in its first 12 years of operations.

The maintenance and rehabilitation contract is intended to have a term of 3 years, and will include the rehabilitation and restoration of the system to its original performance standards.

Point 4: Long-Term, Single-Point-of-Responsibility, O&M Provider

Many of MRT-3’s problems in recent years resulted from successive short-term and fragmented maintenance contracts, and from finger-pointing due to having different entities maintaining and operating MRT-3.

DOTr is addressing this by pursuing an Unsolicited Proposal for the 30-year operation and maintenance (O&M) of MRT-3. Original proponent status has been given to the proponent, Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation (MPLRC), and the proposal will soon be endorsed to NEDA for further evaluation.

Other Efforts

The DOTr is already coordinating with the LTFRB and MMDA in expanding the P2P bus fleet that will complement the MRT-3.

Also, an independent safety audit by an ISO-certified and IFIA member certifier (International Federation of Inspection Agencies) will commence soon for the entire MRT-3 system, which is intended to give DOTr additional inputs on the interventions needed to rehabilitate and restore the system’s reliability.

With the bump in ridership expected as we approach the holidays, the public can be assured that the DOTr is pursuing all avenues to restore the MRT-3’s reliability and to continue ensuring the safety of its 500,000 daily riders.

Will Martin Nievera dare to sing Iran's national anthem his way?

Outside of Americans and Filipinos, can you recall other nationals who sang their national anthems during a public event in a way that deviated from the traditional beat?

It’s not surprising that the disrespectful practice was popularized by showbiz personalities who are always trying to be different or just simply trying to be noticed. They justify it as the freedom of artistic expression.

Many Filipinos are the ‘monkey see, monkey do’ types when something is started by Americans. Now, we have this recent controversy of pop singer Martin Nievera after he sang our national anthem (before the Pacman-Hitman Las Vegas fight) to a different beat.

Martin Nievera was first called to task by Ambeth Ocampo of the National Historical Institute for violating Section 37, Chapter II of Republic Act 8491, or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. The law provides penalties – a jail term and fine – for violations. Nievera did not only violate a revered tradition but he also broke the law.

Representative Teddy Casiño also reacted and proposed a Congressional investigation to clarify once and for all the protocol on the singing or playing of the National Anthem.

In the STAR May 6 front page story penned by Jess Diaz, Casiño cited Nievera in House Resolution 1137 for singing the Lupang Hinirang “in a manner not in keeping with the original arrangement of its composer Julian Felipe.”

Lupang Hinirang should be sung in a marching-type tempo, within the range of 100 to 120 metronome, in 4/4 beat and 2/4 beat when played.

The NHI, in coordination with the proper government agency, shall disseminate an official music score sheet that reflects the manner in which the national anthem should be played or sung.
Individuals whose faith prohibit them from singing Lupang Hinirang must still show full respect.

The national anthem, however, would not be allowed to be played and sung preceding "events of recreation, amusement, or entertainment purposes."

But the anthem may be played during the following: international competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative; national and local sports competitions, during the "signing off" and "signing on" of radio broadcasting and television stations, before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances; Provided, that the owners and management of the establishments shall be mandated to enforce proper decorum and implement the pertinent provisions of this act; and other occasions as may be allowed by the NHI.

The Oath of Patriotism (Panatang Makabayan) must be recited after the singing of the national anthem in basic education institutions. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas) may be recited as well, though the law did not specify who is required to do so.

Julian Felipe composed the national anthem to capture the spirit of the Philippine Revolution against Spain – hence the martial beat. Casiño commented that Nievera sang the national anthem as if it were a ballad.

“Mr. Nievera is not the first artist who sang the national anthem in a different style and tempo. As in the past, such non-traditional renditions elicit much debate among policymakers and the public at large as to the proper way of singing the Lupang Hinirang and whether artists have the license to deviate from tradition,” Casiño added.

Casiño named Charice Pempengco and Jennifer Bautista (there were more actually) as entertainers who have deviated from the traditional rendition while Karylle, Kyla and Ciara Sotto sang it in the traditional manner.

Nievera found support from Cabinet Secretary Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III and Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement. Bello said Nievera sang it in ‘good faith’ which makes us wonder if stealing in ‘good faith’ clears a plunderer. Navarro said a mouthful.

Per Navarro, “I do not care how people sing it, whether it’s rap or out of tune, for as long as they know how to sing it. That is, has sense of self.” Navarro justified the mangling of the beat of the national anthem so long as the lyrics are “sung from the heart.”

The next plunderer that Navarro and her group will denounce should then just respond to them that the mega theft was committed with the sincerest prodding of his heart.

Nievera also found support from Manny Pacquiao who even offered to sing the national anthem the next time. But then, outside of boxing, what does Pacquiao really know?

It was reported that Ryan Cayabyab warned Nievera before the fight not to change the beat. Yet, when informed of the controversy that his rendition of the national anthem spawned at home, Nievera said to ABS-CBN that he did nothing wrong.

Outside of the legal issue, we must wonder if Nievera ever considered the historical and traditional aspects of the national anthem that should compel anyone tasked to sing it in an international event to follow its set guidelines. Respect for a national tradition should prevail over an ego trip for being different.

If Nievera sang and misrepresented the national anthem of Iran like he misrepresented the Philippine national anthem, he will find comradeship with Salman Rushdie who has been dodging for two decades now the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s fatwa (execution order) for writing The Satanic Verses.

On different occasions, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras – the famous three tenors – all sang La Donna en mobile and Nessun dorma. Do you recall any of them mangling the beat of these opera classics?

Never! And that is because they know better not to even think of doing that. They know that some things in this world are not to be altered. They had too great a respect for the artist who created the musical composition.

But then, the late Luciano Pavarotti and the surviving two tenors are genuine artists who have earned the recognition of the world of art and culture. Over here many of us easily elevate mere entertainers to the exalted level of artists without even knowing what differentiates the two.

Without as much as a law to mandate how they ought to sing La Donna en mobile and Nessun dorma and all those other opera classics – Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras respected the original compositions.

So, who are these Martin Nieveras, Charice Pempengcos and Jennifer Bautistas – who are mere entertainers and have not even earned the right to claim to be genuine artists – to sing our national anthem differently?

The embodiment of the history and aspirations of our nation in a song, without even a law to define how it must be sung – freedom of artistic expression cannot justify singing the national anthem differently.

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