MRT-3 in line for P1.207-B rehab fund

From the Department of Budget and Management

As part of efforts to improve the country’s railway systems and address the needs of the riding public, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P1.207 billion to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to cover the rehabilitation and the capacity extension of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3.

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said, “The rehabilitation of the MRT-3 has been a long time coming, especially in the wake of past challenges faced by MRT commuters. But the release of funds to rehabilitate the MRT-3 will go a long way in improving not only the capacity of the mass transit system but the overall user experience.”

Chargeable against the FY 2014 Supplemental Appropriations, the P1.207-billion fund will cover not only the rehabilitation and the capacity extension of the MRT-3, but also replace the existing signaling system as well as the rehabilitate the escalators and elevators of the MRT-3 stations.

The amount is broken down as follows:

PARTICULARS AMOUNT
1. Upgrade of the Conveyance system
· Procurement for the modernization of 12 unit elevators for various MRT-3 stations.

P50,000,000
2. Procurement of Overhead Catenary System (OCS) Unimog
· Supply and delivery of one lot OCS Road-Rail Vehicle for maintenance activities.

P90,000,000
3. Procurement of Rail-Grinding Machine
· Supply and delivery of one lot Rail Grinder to repair the damaged MRT-3 tracks due to stamping and shelling.

P167,163,000
4. Replacement/Upgrade of the Signaling System
· Total replacement/upgrade of the existing signaling system due to obsolescence and in line with capacity extension.

P900,000,000
TOTAL P1,207,163,00
Abad said, “With the rehabilitation of the MRT-3 in the offing, we can now offer not only better transport services to the public to but also alleviate their concerns over safety and security. This, in turn, may help ease the traffic situation in the metro as motorists can now take the public transport system instead of using their vehicles to drive to their destinations.”

The funds allotted to the rehabilitation of the MRT-3 was part of the P22.47-billion Supplemental Budget, which was passed last December 2014. The Supplemental Budget also funded the following projects:

The construction of a new Bohol Provincial Capitol building by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to replace the old provincial capitol building damaged by an earthquake in 2013;
The building of fishports, lighthouses, and seawalls by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA);
The implementation of the North Triangle Relocation Plan by the National Housing Authority (NHA) that benefited informal settler families (ISFs); and,
The Operational Transformation Plan of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

dbm.gov.ph