By Alec Go
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday, May 5, sealed the deal for the construction of Ortigas and Shaw Stations and tunnels for the Metro Manila Subway, the country’s first subway system.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade signed the Contract Package 104 (CP104) for the underground stations as part of the first phase of the project, as well as the Right-Of-Way Usage Agreement (ROWUA) to expedite the construction.
“Matutuloy at maisasakatuparan ang proyekto dahil nandito na ang pondo, financing, contractors, at nagkaisa po ang mga landowner para sa proyekto,” Tugade said.
“Patuloy ang aming pagsusumikap at pagkakapit-bisig upang maisakatuparan ang proyektong ito kahit na malapit na matapos ang aming termino,” he added.
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa and contractor Tokyu-Tobishima Megawide Joint Venture (TTM-JV) were present at the signing ceremony, which was witnessed by representatives from Japan Embassy and Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Koshikawa lauded the DOTr’s leadership under President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program, saying that it is “making great strides in turning this ‘Project of the Century’ into reality despite of the many challenges” faced by the nations. –ngs