MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has mounted two more brand new Hyundai Rotem train sets on the tracks of the 22-km Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project.

This is the second batch of trainsets following the arrival of the first batch last month.

“Work continues non-stop on the MRT-7 project, so we can meet our target start of operations by end of 2022. I’m glad to report that we’re on track to meet all the key milestones we expect this year,” SMC president Ramon S. Ang said in a statement released Monday (October 25).

The company expects to receive and install 6 of the total 36 sets before the year ends.

“Our ongoing MRT-7 project and other existing and planned mass transport systems should remain the backbone of mobility solutions in the city but we need to integrate these with other sustainable means of moving around to truly address the immediate concerns of the metropolis and best meet the needs of everybody,” Ang added.

The statement said that similar to the first two train sets that arrived last September, these were mounted on the MRT-7 tracks between University and Tandang Sora avenues, last October 23 and October 24.

Ang said that transportation and placement of the trainsets on the tracks is a meticulous process, stressing that such is applied to ensure that the safety of the people and trainsets is a priority.

“As work on the MRT-7 project progresses further and faster, we will be able to increase the number of train shipments from Korea in the coming months and mount these on the tracks later on for testing. In the meantime, we regularly inspect the trains in storage and are taking all necessary measures to properly maintain all trainsets so they will be in tip-top shape once we are ready to test and operate,” Ang said.

The statement added that the 56.03 percent completion of the project indicated that the MRT-7 may start test runs by December 2022.

“People who have not been able to visit South Korea or travel around using its trains will be in for a great experience, whether they are commuting to work or school.  As we expect the economy to continue to open more especially in the coming years, MRT-7 will be ready in time to serve the public as our economy rebounds and resumes growth,” Ang said.

For its first year of operation, the MRT-7 is estimated to accommodate 300,000 passengers per day and a maximum projection of 850,000 passengers per day on the 12th year.

“Given the need for social distancing and limited capacity enforced in public transportation amid the constant threat of COVID-19, we don’t expect to achieve these numbers right away but rest assured, the trains will serve their purpose of bringing more people from Quezon City to Bulacan faster and safer post-pandemic,” Ang said.

The entire MRT system will have a total of 108 cars.

Once complete, the MRT-7 will reduce travel time from North Avenue in Quezon City to the City of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan to just 35 minutes.

The MRT-7 will have 14 stations, namely: Quezon North Avenue Joint Station; Quezon Memorial Circle; University Avenue; Tandang Sora; Don Antonio; Batasan; Manggahan; Dona Carmen; Regalado; Mindanao Avenue; Quirino; Sacred Heart; Tala; and San Jose del Monte.

Through the Quezon North Avenue Joint Station, the MRT-7 will link with MRT-3 and LRT-1. —/mbmf

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has secured a greenlight from the Philippine government for its Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project, more than a year since it was proposed.

SMC president Ramon Ang said the approval of the project was signified by the signing of the project’s Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement by Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Toll Regulatory Board Executive Director Alvin Carullo.

PAREX is a 19.37-km, six-lane elevated road that will run along the banks of the Pasig River — from Radial Road 10 in the City of Manila to C-6 road in Taguig City.

The project will have three major segments – Segment 1 is from R-10 to Plaza Azul, Manila; Segment 2 from Pandacan to C-5, and Segment 3 from C-5 to C6.

PAREX will also connect to, and utilize a 2.7-km. portion of the new Skyway Stage 3 from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.

“This will be an inclusive, user-centered infrastructure that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars. It will have dedicated bike lanes, walkways, a bus rapid transit system, among others,” Ang said.

With the opening of the Skyway 3 earlier this year, Ang said the Skyway system now serves as the seamless link between north and south Metro Manila.

Once operational, PAREX will serve as the east-west connection, linking up with Skyway 3 and SEMME making virtually every major city in Metro Manila accessible via the expressway.

SMC will fully shoulder the P95-billion cost to build PAREX, with no taxpayer or government money used.

Ang also said that PAREX will finally complete the long-envisioned north-south-east-west expressway connectivity for the region.

He added that with SMC’s P2-B Pasig River rehabilitation initiative, it is looking to expand water transport through ferry boats that will link people to cities along the waterfronts of Metro Manila – including Laguna Lake, Pasig River, Manila Bay, Marikina River, among others.

The SMC is tapping architect, environmental planner, and green urbanism advocate Arch. Felino Palafox Jr. to help in building the PAREX project.

“Together with Palafox and Associates, we will build what will be the country’s first sustainable infrastructure, one that will not just be ‘green’, but will have multiple uses and direct environmental, social, and economic benefits to Filipinos,” Ang said.

“PAREX will also be for pedestrians and cyclists. It will not just be for motorized transportation and convenience, but also for maintaining our health and well-being. It will not just ‘beautify’ the surroundings — it will rehabilitate the Pasig River and inspire urban renewal in Metro Manila,” he added.

Ang expressed gratitude to the government for studying the project and “ultimately seeing how it can address traffic congestion and transportation inadequacies” throughout Metro Manila, as well as how it can greatly benefit the environment and improve life in the city.

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) had installed the initial two train sets for the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project in Quezon City over the weekend.

These are the first of the six train sets the SMC expects to arrive this year from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem.

The train sets, consisting of three cars each, were shipped from Masan Port towards the end of August. They were dispatched to the MRT-7 tracks between University Avenue and Tandang Sora, after clearing customs at the Port of Manila.

“Our engineers and workers assigned to unload the trains have been at the site since early Saturday morning and will be there until the whole process is completed the following day. We have to be very thorough during the whole process to ensure that it is done efficiently and quickly while inspections are continuously being done,” said SMC president Ramon Ang in a statement.

“We are working round-the-clock to meet the first test run by next year. We know that our countrymen are eagerly awaiting the formal opening of the MRT-7 so that they can experience faster, more efficient, and comfortable travel. This is even more crucial during the pandemic when additional transportation options are required to bring people safely to work and back to their homes,” he added.

SMC is the concession-holder for the project and is fully-funding construction of the 22-kilometer mass transit system. It is currently at 55.3% completion.

The MRT-7 project links up with the MRT-3 and LRT-1 and extends from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. It aims to reduce travel time from Quezon City to Bulacan to just 35 minutes.