Exciting times ahead for Filipinos when it comes to public transportation.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assured Filipinos that the government would strive to modernize and improve the country’s transportation system as he witnessed the signing of a new railway project between the Philippines and Japan recently.
Marcos said this after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Mitsubishi Corporation signed the Contract Package NS-01 (CP NS-01) Electromechanical Systems and Track Works for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System in Malacañang.
Marcos thanked Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Mitsubishi Corporation for “being active partners in the country’s infrastructure development.”
For his part, Nihei Daisuke, Minister for Economic Affairs of the Embassy of Japan, said Japan will always be the Philippines’ “committed partner” in realizing a more prosperous economy and brighter future.
According to the President, the signing of CP NS-01 writes a new chapter in realizing infrastructure projects that will foster growth and revitalize the economy. President Marcos also expressed hope that the DOTr and the Mitsubishi Corp. “will not waiver in their commitment” to finish the project by 2028.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive said the signing of the CP NS-01 would strengthen weaknesses in the supply chain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine. The CP NS-01 includes the procurement of railway infrastructure projects for the Malolos-Clark Railway Project and the North-South Railway Project – South Line (Commuter), collectively known as the North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project.
The contract package includes railway tracks, turnouts, track sleepers, power supply and distribution systems, signaling systems, automated fare collection, computerized management maintenance, and platform screen doors, among other essentials for railway safety and operations.
When completed, the NSCR will significantly reduce travel time between Clark International Airport and Calamba City, Laguna, and will feature 35 stations designed to provide safe access for passengers with its disaster-resilient infrastructure design.
With additional report: Manila Bulletin, Argyll Gyrus Geducos
