PH, US, Japan tie up to boost Luzon Economic Corridor, connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila & Batangas

The Philippines, United States and Japan have partnered on a venture that will boost connectivity between the key economic hubs of Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas comprising the Luzon Economic Corridor.

According to a joint statement of the leaders of the three nations following a trilateral meeting in Washington, D.C., the Luzon Economic Corridor is the latest economic corridor of the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) and the first in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Today we are launching the Luzon Economic Corridor, which will support connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas in the Philippines,” the joint statement said.

Through this corridor, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States commit to accelerating coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects.

These projects include rail, ports modernization; clean energy and semiconductor supply chains and deployments, agribusiness and civilian port upgrades at Subic Bay.

Japan has long been supporting connectivity in this area, including rails and roads, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“We plan to work with multilateral organizations and the private sector to attract quality, transformative investments,” the statement said.

“Together we intend to hold a trilateral event promoting investment in the Luzon Corridor on the margins of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Manila in May—the premier U.S. commercial event in the region,” it added.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation also intends to open a regional office in the Philippines to facilitate further investments across the Philippines.

According to the statement, the Luzon Corridor is a demonstration of the three nations’ enhanced economic cooperation, focused on delivering tangible investments across multiple sectors.

Japan, the Philippines, and the United States are also partnering to expand cooperation and investments in other areas of the Philippines. (SNL)

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DOTr approves Subic-Manila railway project

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said Wednesday it secured the green light from the Transportation Department to include a P100-billion elevated railway and expressway project from Subic Freeport to the port of Manila among priority projects.

SBMA chairman Martin Dino said the 100-kilometer multi-modal elevated railway and expressway project would greatly relieve port and traffic congestion in Metro Manila and increase cargo transit in Subic Port, which was currently operating at only a third of its rated capacity of 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers.

Dino said the construction of the project could be completed in 48 months. He said he would ask for Malacañang’s approval to have the project included for financing under the Philippine-China Framework of Cooperation.

Cargo unloading at the Port of Subic

Dino also said his team was already working on increasing Subic Bay Port’s capacity for new container terminals 3 and 4 by an additional 600,000 TEUs.

He also welcomed the appointment of lawyer Wilma Eisma as SBMA administrator, saying the Freeport now had “an excellent working team.”

“Now we can really move forward at Subic in our goal to raise investments and revenues, eliminate smuggling and stamp out corruption,” Dino said.

Eisma replaced former administrator Roberto Garcia and brought to Subic her wide management experience. She is expected to take over the post next week in what Dino described as “a great start to a new year in our effort to turn Subic into an anchor of national growth.”

This developed as the new win-win tandem vowed to promote Subic as a major alternative gateway for international cargos.

Dino, who was appointed by Malacañang in September, said there were “no more roadblocks to a wide-ranging reform in Subic, because now we can truly say we have an excellent working team.”

He said President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to name the remaining members of the SBMA board, the policy-making body, so the Freeport “can move rapidly and urgently in seeking new investments and building much-needed infrastructure.” (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Standard)

http://www.thestandard.com.ph/business/225298/dotr-approves-subic-manila-railway-project.html

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SBMA proposes 100-km coastal road

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority asked the government to build a multi-modal 100-kilometer coastal highway from Subic Bay to the Port of Manila to help decongest traffic in the metropolis at a cost of P100 billion.

The “most viable and doable solution to the traffic congestion lies outside the metropolis,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Martin Dino said.


He said the project’s indicative cost “is the equivalent of only 34 days of cumulative business losses resulting from Manila’s traffic congestion.” The country is losing an estimated P3 billion a day from the traffic mess.

Construction could be completed in 48 months, he said.

Dino said he would ask for Malacañang’s approval to have it included for financing under the Philippine-China Framework of Cooperation.

“Many economic and social forces are now at play and our rapid and efficient response is critical to creating the environment conducive to promoting further growth and development,” Dino said.

“The economic benefits from the project would be immediate and enormous,” he said. (Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Standard)

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/224433/sbma-proposes-100-km-coastal-road.html

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House leaders back vital Subic-Manila coastal highway

HOUSE Leaders yesterday endorsed the construction of the 65-km coastal highway from Subic Bay to Manila to dramatically unclog the premier international shipping gateway to the country and decongest traffic in the metropolis.

In separate interviews, Quezon City Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone joined Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Martin Diño in seeking the approval of President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte to prioritize the project.

“Any road development towards MM is welcome due to the magnitude of the traffic problem. However, we should study further the best infrastructure available as the best alternative,” Castelo said.

“I am one hundred percent behind this proposal. However, let us start to lessen the centralization of economic activities in Metro Manila and prioritize the dispersal of industries to the provinces. And we can not start this process if we continue building structures going to Manila,” Batocabe, president of the Party-List Coalition (PLC) and chairman of the House special committee on climate change.

For his part, Evardone, who chairs the House committee on bank and financial intermediaries, said: “Any good plan that will help decongest Manila and its worsening traffic should be supported.”

Diño was referring to the new multi-modal highway for rail cargo and vehicular traffic, linking the Subic and Manila ports by the shortest route possible, dovetails with the Freeport’s planned expansion of its Container Terminals 3 and 4 to increase its handling capacity to 1.2 million TEUs or Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit.

He said the SBMA would boost as well the handling capacity of the Naval Supply Depot Compound and Bulk Cargo Port Wharves for loose cargoes, and rehabilitate the Sattler Pier, as modernizing its port facilities and rebuilding its aging infrastructure shift to high gear.

Diño said he has also sought the help of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar to provide technical assistance for the proposed widening of the narrow Tipo Road, which links the Freeport facility to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), into a four-lane highway and the construction of a new tunnel and bridge to accommodate the new lanes are also among his priorities.

He stressed that these projects should be undertaken simultaneously in this “golden age of infrastructure” as the Philippines rides the momentum as the best-performing economy in the region.

Also considered a vital part of the new road network is the 17.273-km bypass road for cargo trucks that would connect the Freeport terminals directly with the SCTEX in Hermosa, Bataan to provide easy transport for goods and services at the export processing zones in the area and in nearby towns in Pampanga, he said.

The bypass road would also relieve traffic buildup at the steep Tipo Road for vehicles and heavy trucks going in and out of the Freeport.

“Our goal is to connect Subic to Manila and the economic zones in Luzon,” Diño said. (Ryan Ponce Pacpaco, Journal Online)

PHOTO:
Aerial shot of the Port of Subic showing its container terminal, piers and warehouses.

Read More: http://www.journal.com.ph/news/top-stories/house-leaders-back-vital-subic-manila-coastal-highway

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Alvarez, Belmonte back Subic port upgrade

MANILA – Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. supported yesterday the proposal of their colleagues for the modernization of the Subic port to ease vehicular congestion in Metro Manila.

Alvarez said the proposal is a “good idea” that will not only benefit Metro Manila in terms of fewer cargo trucks crisscrossing it but will spur economic growth in the central and northern parts of Luzon as well.

Gantry cranes at the New Container Terminal 1 of the Port of Subic

He  said modernizing the Subic port and maximizing its use would definitely ease traffic congestion in the National Capital Region, which causes productivity losses of at least P2.4 million a day based on a recent study.

He noted that the Subic port, which has an annual capacity of 600,000 containers, received only 123,000 containers last year.

Alvarez’s predecessor Belmonte also supported his colleague’s proposal, describing it as a “great idea.”

Another Quezon City congressman, Alfred Vargas, said the suggestion, if adopted, would result in more economic activities in Subic and neighboring areas.

“This means more jobs and more opportunities. These can hopefully translate to economic and social development in that part of the country,” he said.

“This plan, coupled with increased infrastructure spending particularly on interconnecting roads, alternative highways like C6 and bridges across the island of Luzon, will definitely solve a lot of urban management, environmental and economic issues,” Vargas said.

He noted that most imported cargoes enter the country though the port in Manila, where the flow of cargo trucks has to be carefully managed to lessen traffic jams.

Several congressmen, including Rodolfo Albano lll of Isabela and Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, suggested over the weekend the full use of Subic port where they said importers from the northern part of Metro Manila, and central and northern Luzon could unload their cargoes.

This will greatly reduce the number of cargo trucks entering the National Capital Region to pick up or deliver imported goods, they said.

They said the Manila port and its environs are among the highly congested areas in Metro Manila.

For his part, deputy speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu said importers based in areas south of Metro Manila should use the Batangas City port.

He said a large part of imported cargoes, equipment and raw materials that arrive at the Manila port is destined for manufacturing plants in the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) region.

These need not be unloaded at the Manila port and transported to their ultimate destinations through the National Capital Region, he said.

He stressed that the cargoes could be unloaded in Batangas City, which is nearer to their destinations than if these would be transported from Manila.

According to a recent Japan International Cooperation Agency study, the country loses billions in fuel cost and lost opportunities due to traffic congestion. (Jess Diaz, The Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/09/15/1623989/alvarez-belmonte-back-subic-airport-upgrade

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Lawmakers push Subic modernization

LAWMAKERS are urging the Duterte administration to prioritize the modernization project of the Subic Container Port to decongest Metro Manila and ease the traffic jams in the capital which have caused productivity losses of at least P2.4 million a day.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said Saturday goods and commodities intended for Central and Northern Luzon no longer need to pass through Metro Manila if Subic’s operations are optimized.

“It is indeed a great idea. It is about time we discussed the Subic Port modernization project,” Albano said.

Albano’s statement followed a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency which showed that Subic, given its strategic assets, is equipped to acquire a higher share of the country’s growing container cargo volume.

Subic’s location will also ensure a shorter point of entry for cargoes arriving from or going to Singapore.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone also said prioritizing the Subic port modernization project in the government’s menu of solutions to the traffic woes in Metro Manila will also spur economic growth across Central and North Luzon.

“I fully support such proposal. It will greatly help decongest Manila,” he said.

“Anything that will lessen the movement of people and vehicles in Metro Manila is a welcome development,” Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting himself added.

The Subic Container Port is a significant component of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD) strategy, which includes the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTex), and the Clark International Airport to form a global logistics hub and international gateway for Central Luzon.

However, the port, which can easily absorb northbound cargoes, has remained underutilized.

The Jica study showed there is a capacity shortage of 14 million 20-foot equivalent units or TEUs (the capacity unit of container ships) for the Pacific Region, with Singapore already reaching its limit and Hong Kong remaining severely silted.

Subic Container Port has a capacity of 600,000 TEUs, but by 2012, the volume remained at less than 40,000 TEUs.

Albano stressed that a fully modernized port in Subic means that there is a sufficient volume at Subic Port that is worth marketing to vessel lines.

There is also cost advantage ranging from $100 to $200 per TEU for shippers from Pampanga and Zambales to ship through Subic rather than from the traffic congested Manila ports, he said.

A 2014 Jica study has warned that productivity losses could reach P6 billion a day in 2030 if the traffic mess is not solved.

Lawmakers have cited this as basis for proposals to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic problem in Metro Manila. (Maricel Cruz, Manila Standard)

PHOTO:
Overview of Subic Bay's port facilities- a legacy of the former US Naval Base, with the New Container Terminals 1&2 developed recently by the SBMA through JICA.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/215819/lawmakers-push-subic-modernization.html

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Gov't to pursue use of Subic, Batangas ports to decongest Manila roads

The Duterte administration will push for the use of the ports of Subic and Batangas to ease bottlenecks at Manila ports.

This scheme is one of five infrastructure projects expected to decongest Metro Manila road traffic. The other projects are: The North-South Railway Project (NSRP)-South Line; the Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)-EDSA project; Bonifacio Global City (BGC)-Ortigas link bridge; and, a common station for MRT 3, LRT 1, and MRT 7.

Container truck traffic at the port of Manila

The Infrastructure Committee has specified measures to urgently address Metro Manila’s traffic crisis and decongest the city, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said in a press conference in Malacañang on Tuesday.

The projects will be carried out in partnership with private sector.

Road traffic congestion in Metro Manila cost the country at least P3 billion a day, according to a study that Japan International Cooperation agency conducted in 2012.

Two of the projects—NSRP South Lane and BRT-EDSA—alone will cost P238.96 billion. Costing of others is yet to be finalized.

According to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center website, the NSRP, which has an indicative cost of P170.7 billion, aims to revive the railway to provide improved transport and logistics services to currently underserved areas and encourage more productive activities.

The proposed NSRP South Line PPP covers Metro Manila to Legazpi City, Albay, plus a number of existing and proposed branch lines totaling 653 kilometers.

It consists of commuter railway operations between Tutuban and Calamba and long haul railway operations between Tutuban and Legazpi, including extended long haul rail operations on the branch line between Calamba and Batangas and extension between Legazpi and Matnog.

The railway between the existing Tutuban station and the city of Calamba, in the Laguna province is a 56km section of the NSRP and is proposed to have commuter rail operations in addition to long haul rail operations of NSRP.

This section represents an existing Philippines National Railway (PNR) right-of-way (ROW) which runs through
Metro Manila. Currently, the NSRP has a narrow gauge railway.

However, the PPP Center said extensive rehabilitation and reconstruction is needed to bridges and road crossings to bring it to safe operating condition.

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila BRT-EDSA, is a rapid transit infrastructure of 48.6km through EDSA, Ayala Avenue, Ortigas-BGC, and Ninoy Aquino International Airport with 63 stations. It will add accessibility infrastructure like greenways, pedestrian walkways, and bikeways. The total project cost is estimated at P68.26 billion, of which public sector component is P37.76 billion, with an implementation schedule of 2017 to 2019.

The bridge that will link Bonifacio Gobal City (BGC) in Taguig City and Ortigas Center in Pasig City will include vehicular underpasses below the Makati Business District.

“The immediate implementation of the Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas link bridge… is expected to divert 25 percent of the EDSA traffic,” said Pernia.

The link bridge will add up to C5, which is located on the east side of Metro Manila.

“So we need another one there to add road space for those traveling between the two parts of Metro Manila that is cut by the Pasig River,” he explained.

Another, Pernia said, is the early resolution of the Common Station for MRT 3, LRT 1, and MRT 7.

“The Department of Public Works and Highways will hand the final configuration of the station to the Department of Transportation,” he said. (Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Manila Times)

http://www.manilatimes.net/govt-picks-5-schemes-to-decongest-mm/281709/

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MMDA wants Subic's traffic discipline culture emulated in Metro Manila streets

The implementation of the no contact apprehension policy of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) aims to create a “behavioral” and "cultural” change among the drivers to observe road discipline, just like in Subic Bay Freeport.

This, after at least 176 motorists and drivers have been caught violating traffic rules on major thoroughfares in the first two hours of yesterday’s relaunching of the no contact apprehension policy of the MMDA.

It is only in Subic Freeport where motorists are aware and follow its "first to stop-first to go" policy on intersections.

“Drivers are capable of being disciplined, like they do when they are inside the Subic freeport. That’s what we hope to achieve,” MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos said, citing that “once you prohibit, consistently it would be cultural change.”

Amid the number of recorded violations, Carlos said the kickoff of the new policy seemed to create a “chilling effect” on drivers plying EDSA.

“There was light vehicular flow from East Avenue to Cubao area, Osmena Avenue, some parts of EDSA during rush hour Friday morning and payday,” said Carlos.

Based on the agency’s monitoring, common violations include obstruction, reckless driving, prohibited loading and unloading on non-designated zones, overspeeding, and banned entering of underpasses.

Showing their seriousness, some agency personnel delivered a summon to Joanna Jess bus firm located in Western Bicutan, Taguig City, to inform them that one of their drivers violated the no loading/unloading zone.

For drivers who will contest their violation, Carlos said they are welcome to present their own evidence.

“You can bring your own video if you have dashcam. In this policy we are giving the motorists all the opportunities to contest but the same time, we will look at the circumstances,” said Carlos.

In case drivers are apprehended manually for the same violation, one ticket will be cancelled. For different violations, drivers can be apprehended multiple times.

A 15-man team is manning the No Contact Policy Office in the MMDA headquarters, tasked to monitor CCTV footage for traffic violations.

Carlos said the violators may receive their summons in less than a week, depending how far their residences are.

The policy also hopes to stop the “padrino” system involving policemen and politicians and even bribery and extortion opportunities involving traffic enforcers.

“If there is a denial from the driver, that’s only his defense. It will be his word against the video captured,” said Carlos.

The driver will not be able to renew his vehicle registration until the fines are settled.

Carlos also warned drivers from lying as those who will be caught lying will be charged with perjury, which carries a penalty of possible imprisonment.

“If the vehicle is not registered, we will report them to LTO,” said Carlos, adding that those who oppose the now policy are welcome to visit the Metrobase. (Manila Bulletin)

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/mmda-captures-176-motorist-violations-on-video-in-2-hours-of-no-contact-policy/

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