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The Philippine Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has launched a tender process for the proposed P65.1-billion (US$1,374 million) Light Rail Transit Line 6 in Manila.

The project involves the development of a 19 km railway that will link Niyog, Bacoor, the terminus of the LRT 1 CAVEX extension, and Dasmariñas City. More specifically, the project includes:

• architectural, detailed engineering, systems design and construction of 19 km ral line form Niyog, Bacoor city to Dasmariñas city;
• procurement, testing and commissioning of all requires rolling stock, equipment and support infrastructure;
• operations and maintenance to the LTR 6 system to ensure minimum performance services standards; and
• project enhancement works covering whole-of-life investment for the project.

Interested parties must submit their qualification documents on or before 4 March 2016. Interested bidders can purchase bid documents starting Dec. 28, 2015. The timing suggests that the Aquino Government is not likely to award the project within the term of the President, who steps down in the middle of 2016.

In early September this year, we reported that the Philippines' National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board had plans to approve this project along with two others.

Four bidders are currently bidding for the O&M and expansion of the LRT-Line 2:

• Aboitiz and SMRT Transport Solutions;
• DM Consunji Inc. and Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd.;
• Ayala Corporation, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), RATP TRANSDEV Asia, and RATP Developpement SA; and
• San Miguel Corporation and KORAIL.

In October 2014, a consortium formed by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Ayala Corporation and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Ltd signed with the Philippine government the concession agreement for the $1.45-billion Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT1) Cavite extension project.

According to the PPP Center website:

“Currently, Cavite is experiencing a rapid growth and many of its residents travel to Manila for work and education purposes. The project will improve passenger mobility and reduce the volume of vehicular traffic in the Cavite area by providing a higher capacity mass transit system. It also aims to spur economic development along the extension corridor.”

See tender announcement:

http://ppp.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/LRT6-Invitation-to-Pre-qualify-and-Bid.pdf