Geline Salac

DOTr eyes new builder for common station by Q3

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to reaward the contract for the Unified Grand Central Station project by the third quarter of this year, according to Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday.Last week, the DOTr formally <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/5/16/dotr-terminates-contract-with-common-station-builder-after-extensive-delays-1022?fbclid=IwY2xjawKTto9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtGRODA-OF13hL5m5tUXapWMldQwZ4gYh6r5XboMfLD8lagzjkVW6zrw3lvS_aem_kQQNtaHxMoDzpLwbqS08AA">terminated its contract</a> with BF Corporation and Foresight Development and Surveying Company (BFC-FDSC) Consortium over &quot;excessive construction delays.”It was supposed to finish building the common station that would connect Metro Manila’s major train lines, namely, the MRT-3, LRT-1, and the MRT-7, in 2021.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y_UJrO73YnE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>“Ito na ang unang step para mag-restart na tayo ng trabaho. Kung hindi tayo magmo-move on forever nang ganito, mabubulok na lang ‘to,” said Dizon during his inspection of the stalled construction site in Quezon City.Dizon said the DOTr is still studying how they will bid out the project but said he is leaning towards a Public Private Partnership (PPP).“Pinag-aaralan natin kasi alam niyo naman, meron tayong bagong procurement law na kakapasa lang. Marami doong modes. Basta sabi ni Pangulo, ang pinakamabilis, &#x27;yun ang gagawin natin. Pwedeng PPP kasi marami namang interested na PPP proponents dito,” added Dizon.He said the goal is to have the common station up and running by 2027– just in time for the opening of the MRT-7.He stressed the importance of speeding things up, noting that over a million people would be able to benefit from the project daily.“Ang MRT-3 alone, 500,000 kada araw &#x27;yan. Kung idadagdag mo si LRT-1, you’re looking at maybe 400,000. Meron ka pang MRT-7 (na) siguro initially you’re looking at 200-300K a day. So yung gagamit potentially nito mahigit isang milyon kada araw,” he said.When asked what caused the delays on the part of BF Corp, Dizon said the company cited various reasons.“COVID, may utang ang DOTr, etc etc… Granted, nagka-COVID pero 4 na taon, sobra sobra na,” he said.“Ang nangyayari ngayon pinagbabangga lang &#x27;yung claim nila versus &#x27;yung claim ng gobyerno. Kung may utang ang gobyerno, babayaran ng gobyerno. Kung may utang ang BF, dapat magbayad,” he added.ABS-CBN News has reached out to BF Corp for a comment but it has yet to respond as of writing.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to reaward the contract for the Unified Grand Central Station project by the third quarter of this year.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to reaward the contract for the Unified Grand Central Station project by the third quarter of this year.