Manila's US$56m transport terminal project attracts two bidders

[MANILA] Just two of 12 prospective applicants have bid to build and operate a 2.5 billion pesos (S$73.8 million) transport terminal in Manila, one of the Philippine government's private-public partnership (PPP) projects aimed at speeding economic growth.

Filinvest Land Inc and Megawide Construction Corp subsidiary MWN Terminals filed necessary documents for the Integrated Transport System Southwest Terminal Project ahead of the Monday deadline, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) spokesman Miguel Sagcal told reporters.

But 10 companies that bought application papers - including Ayala Land Inc, Ayala Corp, San Miguel Corp , Metro Pacific Investments Corp and Robinsons Land Corp - did not submit bids.

The transport department will review the two bids for the 4.6 hectare terminal over the next 40 days.

The terminal is part of a PPP programme involving the upgrade or roads, railways, ports and airports, aimed at helping lift economic growth to as much as 8.5 per cent by 2016 from 7.7 per cent in 2010 when the scheme began.

The government has so far awarded eight PPP projects worth 127.5 billion pesos. In October, President Benigno Aquino gave the go-ahead for a further US$3.7 billion worth of infrastructure developments.

The National Economic and Development Authority's Investment Coordination Committee is set to discuss on Monday eight PPP projects worth 625 billion pesos.

Those projects include the 35.4 billion pesos Cavite-Laguna Expressway, the 19.3 billion pesos Motor Vehicle Inspection System, the 177.2 billion pesos North-South Railway Project, and the 374.5 billion pesos Makati-Pasay-Taguig Mass Transit System Loop.

REUTERS