MRTC Open to Possible Settlement With DOTC

            The problem about MRT 3 is not yet resolved because the government doesn’t make a way to settle it.It seems that they are very relaxed that they can fix easily our train system by buying new train couches. While waiting for it, they don’t have any plan how to improve MRT3 although they knew that the commuters are suffering from their poor services. Plus, their fight between MRTC has not yet still finish. But right now Bob Sobrepena of MRTC is making a way to consilidate with the government, despite of the facts that their camp has been ignored for many times.

            In Sobrepena’s first live interview about MRT, he said that the MRTC is open to settle their conflict with the government. Aside from that, he also explained about their situation. He has said that since then, they had made many proposals to the government on how to improve our train system.But the government was not very supportive with their plans. For example, in 2004, they had a proposal for DOTC that they would like to buy 48 brand new trains. They got the approval of NEDA; but DOTC ignored their proposal instead they just wanted to buy second hand trains.In 2010, they had also a proposal that they will upgrade the train system and take over the operation with the Metro Pacific at no cost to the government.  But DOTC didn’t make any action on this proposal.

            MRT3 was built by MRTC which is composed of different private companies like Astoria, Anglo, Railco, Sheridan, Fil-Estate, Emerging Allied, DBH Inc. The MRT holdings owns 100% of MRTC. The government is only leasing the MRT because all the system is owned by MRTC. The lease agreement will last for 25 years. According to BLT agreement, MRTC is assigned to the train maintenance while the government will be the one who can operate it.

            The problem began in MRT3 when the government didn’t follow the BLT agreement. In this agreement, it is said that the MRTC has the only right to choose any bidders to maintain MRT. Instead, when the service contract of Sumimoto, a maintenance group chosen by MRTC; the government appointed another maintenance provider which is APT Global without any prior consultation to MRTC. They had a plan to extend the contract of Sumimoto because of their good performance. But how they can do this, the government has already signed a contract for APT Global? Since then, the maintenance of the MRT3 has been suffered. The major accidents happened under that maintenance provider like the mishap in the MRT happened last August this year.

            It also written in BLT agreement that MRTC has the sole right to buy any equipment to develop the train system. But again, the government didn’t follow this when they decided to buy new 48 new couches from a Chinese company. The MRTC owns the system; so, the government should get the approval of MRTC before they buy any new train to check the compatibility with their system to avoid major problems in the near future. Aside from this the MRTC didn’t know that the government wants to buy out MRT3; they only read it in newspapers. It is very clear that the governmet doesn’t make their effort to talk with their partners under Public-Private Partnership.

            Hope that the government would do their part to settle the problem over MRT3. This time they should listen to MRTC since they already shown that they are willing to solve their conflict with the government. They should make cooperate with each other for the sake of the commuters.