CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) -- The Department of Transportation-Philippine National Railways (DOTr-PNR) and the NLEX Corporation on Tuesday signed an agreement for the construction of columns for the PNR Clark Project, as part of the second phase of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
Under the memorandum of agreement, columns for the PNR Clark Project will be constructed in the shoulders and median island that will cross above the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to allow seamless operations of both the expressway and the railway. The DOTr and NLEX Corp. will also coordinate for the project design, traffic management plan, safety plan, and security plan.
DOTr Undersecretary Giovanni Lopez said the government has gained the private sector’s trust with the Build, Build, Build Infrastructure Program.
“Ang paglagda ng ating MOA ay isang pagpapahiwatig ng tunay na pagtitiwala sa panig ng gobyerno at sa panig ng pribadong sector. Sa administrasyong Duterte at sa DOTr sa pangunguna ni Secretary Tugade ay napatunayan natin ang pagtitiwala hindi lang sa pribado, kundi sa milyun-milyong Pilipino,” Usec. Lopez said during the signing of the agreement.
“Ang ating MOA ngayon ang tunay na makikinabang dito ay ang milyun-milyong Pilipino—kung saan ang mandato ni Secretary Tugade at DOTr, kasama na ang PNR ay bigyan sila ng maginhawang pamumuhay,” Usec. Lopez added.
Present during the MOA signing were DOTr Secretary Art Tugade, NLEX Corp. President and General Manager Luigi Bautista and Chief Finance Officer Maria Theresa Wells, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority Senior Vice President Joshua Bingcang.
The second leg of the NSCR Project, the 53-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 2, will be connecting cities and municipalities in Central Luzon with Metro Manila, and will link the railway system with the country’s first ever Airport Express Service going to the Clark International Airport.
Once operational, the PNR Clark Phase 2 will reduce travel time between Makati City and the Clark International Airport in less than two hours through the Airport Express Service. The project’s current overall progress is at 32.21%.
Meanwhile, Bautista said the NLEX Corp. fully supports the NSCR Project to help spur economic activity and revitalize the country’s provinces by enhancing the country’s transport approach to improve mobility of Filipinos.
“We at NLEX believe that our shared purpose of helping our country’s economy grow through infrastructure development has suited us for this partnership. We are pleased to support this undertaking that will make travel easier for Kababayans in Bulacan, in Pampanga and more areas in North and Central Luzon,” he said.
SVP Bingcang said the PNR Clark Project, being a part of the Build, Build, Build Infrastructure Program, is a “game-changer” that will pave the way for opportunities for growth in Central Luzon.
“The BCDA plays a part in the Build, Build, Build Program of the government and in this we’d like to extend our support to this project to see its unimpeded, continued implementation. The project is a game-changer as we continue to develop business around Clark in Pampanga to provide more options to the Filipino public,” Bingcang said.
