BUNDLED OPERATIONS. National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan favors solicited bids for the operations and maintenance of MRT-3 and LRT-2. He said a solicited bidding process gives the government higher chances of getting a good winner, during an interview over the weekend (Nov. 25, 2023).(PNA file photo)
MANILA – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) prefers to get solicited bids for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
Balisacan said solicited proposals have better chances of producing “a good winner."
"You really don't know what's a good proposal until you see all the proposals on the table. You miss that when it is unsolicited," he told reporters on the sidelines of a media training organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines at Wynwood Hotel in Pasig City over the weekend.
"I think, our direction is to get the operations and maintenance done by the private sector. So we are studying that. I don't think that the DOTr (Department of Transportation) already submitted a proposal to the NEDA board, but they are studying that," Balisacan said.
Balisacan said the proposal will need to be submitted to NEDA.
"Then we will present it to the NEDA Board or NEDA secretariat. We'll see the pros and cons of the proposal. But of course, we prefer solicited versus unsolicited, because if it's solicited you tend to get better chances of getting a good winner," he said.
The MRT-3 is operated by Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) while the LRT-2 is under the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).
The build-lease-transfer agreement between the government and the MRTC is set to expire in 2025.
Earlier this year, the DOTr said it is planning to combine the O&M of the MRT Line 3 and the LRT Line 2.
DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez disclosed that under the proposed plan, the MRT-3 will be transferred to the LRTA. (PNA)
