Gov’t sets 2027 deadline to complete Common Station
Metro Manila, Philippines - The government has a new target as it finds a new contractor to complete the station that will connect three train lines: early 2027, a Cabinet official said.
The new schedule for the Common Station for MRT-3, MRT-7, and LRT-1 will be a pushback from the original target of April 2019.
“Ang goal natin is sabay matatapos ang Common station at MRT-7 sa 2027. Isang taon kalahati kailangan, tapusin na natin ‘yan para magamit ng kababayan natin,” said Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon in a chance interview on Tuesday, May 20.
[Translation: Our goal is to complete both the common station and MRT-7 by 2027. We need to finish it in a year and a half so that our fellow Filipinos can benefit from it.]
The new target came a week after the government scrapped its deal with BF Corporation and Foresight Development and Surveying Company, the private contractors, over what it called excessive delays.
Dizon said he is exploring options under the public-private partnership, which he said could hasten construction.
The secretary said the government is in talks with the former contractors to settle the cost of the termination.
“Ang pinag-uusapan natin para lang magkatapusan sa bayaran meron silang sinubmit na utang daw namin sa kanila, meron kaming sinubmit na kakulangan nila. Magbabanggaan iyon. Titingnan natin kapag nakita na natin ang final na numero,” said Dizon.
[Translation: What we're discussing is just to settle the payments. They submitted a claim saying we owe them, while we submitted a claim regarding their deficiencies. Those will clash. We'll see once we have the final numbers.]
