Manila, July 18 (AseanAll) — Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines witnessed the signing of a transportation infrastructure construction contract, the North-South Commuter Railway Project, by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) of the Philippines at Malacañang Palace in Manila on 13 July.
Two project contracts were won by the joint venture of two Indonesian state-owned enterprises, PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk ("ADHI") - PT PP (Persero) Tbk ("PTPP") Joint Venture. The first project is CP S-01 for the construction of a 1.2 km viaduct (rail bridge over a public road) in the Blumentrit Extension. The scope of work includes one elevated station in Blumentrit and five bridges. The project winner announcement, valued at 11.672 billion pesos or around Rp 3.2 trillion, was issued on 17 February 2023.
The second project is CP S-03C for the construction of a 5.8 km viaduct, with the scope of work including two stations (Sucat and Bicutan) and three bridges. The project winner announcement, valued at 20.92 billion pesos or around Rp 5.7 trillion, was issued on 26 June 2023, making the total value nearly Rp 9 trillion.
Both contracts are part of the 147 km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) development that stretches from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, crossing the National Capital Region (NCR) and Metro Manila. The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion on major roads in Metro Manila, provide convenient transportation alternatives, and stimulate economic growth.
The signing was conducted by Isman Widodo, General Manager of the Railway Department of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk, and Pande Ketut Gede Karmawan, Senior Vice President of the Infrastructure Division of PT PP (Persero) Tbk. The event was attended by Entus Asnawi Mukhson, President Director of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk, and Novel Arsyad, President Director of PT PP (Persero) Tbk.
Additionally present at the signing ceremony were Secretary of Transportation Hon. Jaime J. Bautista, Undersecretary for Railway Cesar B. Chavez, General Manager of the Philippines National Railways Jeremy S. Regino, Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Agus Widjojo, Ambassadors of Japan and Australia, as well as the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Masatsugu Asakawa, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Representative.
In his speech, Marcos Jr. stated that the signing of the contract is the realization of the Philippine government's commitment to building an inclusive and efficient public transportation system. The project's development aims to provide the best service to the Filipino people, with an estimated 800,000 commuters by 2029. Furthermore, President Marcos Jr. expressed appreciation to PT Adhi Karya Persero and PT PP for their collaboration with the Philippine government in this railway infrastructure development. These two Indonesian state-owned enterprises are considered the right partners due to their experience and expertise in the construction field. The NSCR project is expected to create 3,000 job opportunities for the Filipino people.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Agus Widjojo expressed appreciation to President Marcos Jr. on this occasion for his steadfast commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines and for the trust given to Indonesian state-owned enterprises to contribute to development in the Philippines. Ambassador Agus Widjojo also affirmed that Indonesia is always ready to share its experience and capacity in infrastructure development in the Philippines.
