We understand that the government may also have to deal with owners of properties that will be affected by the expansion or widening of the present PNR alignment
We’re glad the national government is pushing forward with its railway projects.
In fact, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) recently announced the temporary suspension of the services of the Philippine National Railways in two of its busiest sections in Metro Manila.
According to DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Jeremy Regino, the halt in train service operations will give way to the start of the construction of the North South Commuter Railways (NSCR) project.
Affected by the suspension are the PNR line’s Governor Pascual-Tutuban and Tutuban-Alabang operations. The planned date for the start of the suspension of PNR operations in these portions is the 28th of this month.
The NSCR is the much-awaited 147-kilometer urban rail system that will run from Calamba to the New Clark City, passing through some portions of Metro Manila along the existing PNR route. Once completed, it will have a total of 36 stations.
The DOTr announcement will definitely be met with mixed reactions.
On one hand, we can expect protests from the commuting public, particularly from those who commute daily from north to south of Metro Manila to get to their places of work using the cheapest and fastest means of transportation available—the PNR train.
On the other hand, many of our countrymen would view the development as a signal that, at last, this long-delayed, almost-shelved project is finally entering the construction stage.
Here is clear evidence that, when the government exercises decisiveness, it can push projects that are game-changers that can push our antiquated transportation systems into the modern age—no matter what the cost.
But it must be emphasized that the NSCR will entail major costs – financial and social.
Metro Manilans will have to shoulder the social costs.
The immediate one is the cost that the project will entail is massive public inconvenience.
Both commuters and motorists will feel the impact of the closure of the PNR service and the start of civil works.
Motorists will have their share of inconvenience. We are anticipating possible traffic rerouting as construction work progresses.
We can look at it, however, from a different perspective.
Instead of looking at the inconvenience as the “cost” of progress, we can look at it as our share of the country’s “investment” in a better future where we will have options better than what we have to be contented with today—such as a modern, high-speed railway.
DOTr Secretary Jimmy Bautista already showed us one possible “return on investment.”
He explained that with the suspension of PNR train services in the aforementioned portions and the immediate start of civil works for the NSCR, the timetable for its completion can be advanced by some eight months.
The suspension and start of work will mean some P15.18 billion in savings from the project.
We surmise that the “savings” is the cost of money that the government will be able to avert if the project can proceed and finish on time.
This means the government may be already be complying with the terms of the loans it incurred to fund the NSCR project, and that delays would mean higher interest.
This could also mean that the government has already paid what is due to contractors for the initial period of the project, and that the contractors will continue to bill the government even if the latter may still be unable to deliver its part of the deal.
Part of what the government needs to deliver is Right-of-Way. This is legal authorization for construction or infrastructure projects which enable the implementing parties to access the sites and the corridors essential for the said projects to proceed.
Right now, this should be one of the government’s biggest challenges.
Many portions of the PNR line are still occupied by informal settlers.
We understand the government may also have to deal with owners of properties that will be affected by the expansion or widening of the present PNR alignment.
Again, this will be costly to the government, financially and socially.
But then, the returns on investment are huge.
As Regino has pointed out, the NSCR will expand and disperse economic opportunities and growth.
It is set to create some 59,000 jobs during construction and close to 5,000 jobs once it begins operation.
So, while we count the cost in terms of inconvenience, we must also compute the huge opportunity losses the nation will incur if we allow obstacles to get in the way of major transportation projects such as the NSCR.
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
