MetroPac firms up plans for Cebu Expressway

[blair]

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MetroPac firms up plans for Cebu expressway, Clark airport

METRO PACIFIC Investments Corp. (MPIC) is firming up plans to build a toll road in Cebu and operate an airport in Clark with the projects’ feasibility studies expected to be completed by the second half of the year, officials said.
“Hopefully before the year ends, we can come up with the [results of a Cebu toll road] study,” Ramoncito S. Fernandez, president of MPIC unit Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., told BusinessWorld in a chance interview.

“We are looking at the possibility of building additional toll roads [particularly to] solve congestion in Cebu,” Mr. Fernandez added.
If the plan pushes through, this will be the company’s first project outside Luzon.

Earlier, the local government of Cebu had aired its interest to enter into a build-operate-transfer scheme for a P5-billion “trans-axial highway” that would run from the northernmost town of Daanbantayan to Santander in the south.

The project, which has yet to be implemented, will cross all 47 towns and six cities. Work still remains in the “study phase,” Mr. Fernandez said, citing traffic volumes as among the factors up for review.

He added that the company allotted a few millions for the analysis.

The conglomerate’s subsidiary in the meantime operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and is also renegotiating its concession agreement with the government for the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

Metro Pacific Tollways has also reported plans to spend P25 billion for three big-ticket projects in the next four years. Segment 9 -- the four-lane, 2.42-kilometer (km.) stretch -- is eyed to connect NLEx to MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City while the two-lane, 5.65-km.

Segment 10 is planned to run through MacArthur Highway to Radial Road R-10. These come on top of the 13.2-km. connector road that will link NLEx at C-3 Road to Skyway 1 along South Luzon Expressway in Makati.

Meanwhile, David J. Nicol, chief finance officer of Metro Pacific, said the feasibility study for the operation and maintenance of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga will be completed in the second half.

“I suspect [it will be ready] within three to four months,” Mr. Nicol said.

Early this year, Metro Pacific hired Madrid-based Indra Group to conduct the feasibility study.

Mr. Nicol said privatizing the airport will result in higher operating efficiency, adding that Metro Pacific allotted $250,000 for the study.

Metro Pacific wants to rehabilitate the airport and build a high-speed railway as DMIA is 85 km. away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main gateway.

Mr. Nicol said the company will look for a partner with the technical capacity to operate the airport.

Under the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 of the National Economic and Development Authority, Subic and Clark are targeted to be logistics centers. The Civil Aeronautics Board has already approved the expansion of air services at the DMIA and the Subic Bay International Airport.

“Infrastructure projects have a good cash flow. Considering Metro Pacific already has the experience in infrastructure development and maintenance, it would be feasible for the company to invest in other opportunities,” Astro C. del Castillo, managing director of brokerage firm First Grade Holdings, Inc., said in a phone interview yesterday.

But Mr. del Castillo also warned of the regulatory risks that threaten new ventures.

In the first quarter, core profits of the listed holding firm surged by 44% to P1.13 billion from P788 million in the previous year as revenues climbed by 17% to P5.05 billion in the first three months.

Metro Pacific is the Philippine unit of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., which partly owns the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

Source: BusinessWorld Online Edition |MetroPac firms up plans for Cebu expressway, Clark airport

[peewee_toot]

chuya ani kung ma tinuod oi. 47 towns ang ma agi-an. wow!

[Jantehshiznit]

IMO, not a good idea, i don't like the idea of having good roads but for business. this one shows the failure of the govt. Roads are for free not for pay, we payed taxes for the govt to provide us what we need. this shouldn't be the case. In the long run people will always be on the disadvantage, the toll fees will be higher and the companies will always look for an increase to maximize profit then left us with nothing but to accept it. this is like Gasoline, the Owners are dictating the price and the way things should run out. this will also had an impact in our goods, because there will be an increase cost of transportation. I hope Cebu will not be like Manila.

[masakiton]

murag lisod pud dili baya ingon ana ka lagyo ug congested ang mga dalan sa cebu

[account]

ok ra ni ing ani oi para ma lessen pud ang traffic sa cebu labi na karon nga dghan na kaayong gahi nga drivers. .

[slakker]

maparehas na gyud ta sa manila nga naay mga mahal kaayo nga toll rates para lang maka-agi sa dalan.

[KE-25]

IMO, not a good idea, i don't like the idea of having good roads but for business. this one shows the failure of the govt. Roads are for free not for pay, we payed taxes for the govt to provide us what we need. this shouldn't be the case. In the long run people will always be on the disadvantage, the toll fees will be higher and the companies will always look for an increase to maximize profit then left us with nothing but to accept it. this is like Gasoline, the Owners are dictating the price and the way things should run out. this will also had an impact in our goods, because there will be an increase cost of transportation. I hope Cebu will not be like Manila.

Good Point

[kreik101]

I dont want this to happen to Cebu. Dili paman kaayu congested atong mga kalsada ang basi mu mahal nasad ang plete ana ug uban pa. First time nako ni agi ug toll fee sa manila gi wierdan ug gi batian man gani ko kay mubayad ka para maka agi ka ug kalsada which is ang government jud ang mu build, we have taxes for that.
We dont need that! Its the failure of the government of Manila nga nagka un ana ilang kalsada and I hope di ta maparehas sa ila.
Instead BRT nalang ilang e plano kaysa ana!

[blair]

dili pa gyud kaayo congested ang atong kalsada diri sa cebu, maybe 10-20 years from now maka imagine mo ? . dii man pud ingon ana kadali mag himu ug expressway..

[PaYaSo]

the disadvantage of that is the toll rates. it could increase somehow the prices of goods considering that most of the transpo will pass by the expressway. on the other hand it will bring improvement on the country side due to ease of logistics. development will now be distriduted and will no longer congest on the city.