A record-breaking turnout of 34 bids were received from six (6) Philippine companies and seventeen (17) international companies that intend to participate in contract packages of the PNR-Calamba Project for the construction of a combined 40.5 kilometers of viaduct structures, including thirteen (13) elevated stations and a 22-hectare train depot.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Philippine National Railways (PNR) and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) held the Bid Submission and Opening for Contract Packages S-01 and S-02, and Contract Packages S-04, S-05, S-06, and S-07, respectively on 14 July 2021, and 15 July 2021.

Offering their bids for the contract packages were:

• China Construction First Group Corporation Ltd. (China)
• Chun Wo Construction (Hongkong)
• Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited (Hongkong)
• DL Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (South Korea)
• Dong-ah Geological Engineering Company Ltd. (South Korea)
• GS Engineering & Construction Corp. (South Korea)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (South Korea)
• Lotte Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (South Korea)
• POSCO Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Samsung Construction & Trading Corporation (South Korea)
• PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk (Indonesia)
• PT PP (Persero) Tbk (Indonesia)
• PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk (Indonesia)
• Gülermak Ağır Sanayi İnşaat ve Taahhüt A.Ş. (Turkey)
• Acciona, S.A. (Spain)
• Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd. (Thailand)
• Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Also submitting their bids were the following Philippine construction companies:

• D.M. Consunji Inc.
• EEI Corporation
• First Balfour, Inc.
• Megawide Construction Corporation
• Prime Metro BMD Corporation
• Santa Clara International Corporation

Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said the impressive turnout of bidders for the PNR Calamba Project’s contract packages is proof of the infrastructure sector’s trust in the government’s Build Build Build infrastructure program.

“This record-breaking turnout of bidders is yet again an indication of the trust and confidence of both the local and international infrastructure sectors on the Duterte Administration’s Build Build Build Program, which champions a transparent, fair, and efficient bidding process through a joint implementation by the DOTr, PNR, and the Procurement Service of the DBM,” Sec. Tugade said.

Five (5) more contract packages for the PNR Calamba Project are set for the opening of bids later this year. The opening of bids for the project’s civil works packages S-03A, S-03B, and S-03C (construction of at-grade and viaduct structures with five (5) stations, underground tunnel works and the construction of a station to be integrated with the Metro Manila Subway Project) are expected by 3Q 2021.

Meanwhile, the opening of bids for contract packages involving the project’s electromechanical systems and airport express train cars are expected by 3Q 2021.

The PNR Calamba Project is part of the longer 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System which has 35 stations stretching from Calamba in Laguna to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. The NSCR System will have a fleet of 464 train cars or 58 trains sets, including seven (7) Airport Express train sets.

The NSCR System intends to cut travel time from the Clark International Airport to Calamba from more than 4 hours down to just 1.5 hours.

Travelers from Makati will also be able to reach the Clark International Airport in less than 1 (one) hour aboard the Airport Express train service. The NSCR System can initially accommodate up to 1 million daily passengers.

Construction of the NSCR System is supported by the Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It is the single largest project being financed by the ADB in its history, and is the longest commuter railway being financed by JICA.

At present, construction is at full-swing for the northern segment of the NSCR System which involves 90 kilometers of rail line and 16 stations.