PNA/JESS M. ESCAROS JR.

THE evaluation of the Megawide Construction Corp.’s unsolicited proposal for the EDSA busway system project is now nearing completion, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said.

“(The PPP Center) is actually on the tail end of the review process. We will be following up with them. The DoTr (Department of Transportation) needs to decide whether it will proceed to the next stage or return the proposal,” Jeffrey I. Manalo, deputy executive director at the PPP Center, told reporters over the weekend.

Mr. Manalo was speaking on the sidelines of a seminar hosted by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines and San Miguel Corp. on Saturday.

Mr. Manalo declined to give further details about the PPP Center’s review and what its recommendation might be.

Separately, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista has confirmed that the unsolicited proposal that the DoTr received was from listed Megawide Construction.

“The unsolicited proposal is being reviewed by the PPP Center. I understand the proponent still has pending documents they need to submit,” Mr. Bautista said on the sidelines of a forum last week.

The DoTr hopes to complete the feasibility study for the EDSA Busway system within the year. 

Earlier, the DoTr said the busway project is following a similar track as the privatization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The NAIA PPP project is considered the fastest project to progress from submission to investment coordination committee approval to concession agreement signing.

The Transportation department said it expects to start the bidding for the EDSA PPP project in 2025.

The EDSA Busway Project involves the financing, design, construction, procurement of low-carbon buses, route planning, and operations and maintenance of the busway. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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