DOTC is Ready for the 3rd MRT-3 Bidding Process

       The Department of Transportation and Communications is on the verge of uncertainty after they failed in their second bidding process for the maintenance of the MRT-3. It seems that the no companies became interested in the contract. Maybe they realized that they would never make a high profit out of it although the government will pay about million pesos to the lucky contractor.  Of course, they need to release their own money for the maintenance and they knew that the MRT-3 is already too old. It means that there are many mechanical problems that they need to fix. They need a lot of efforts just to maintain the MRT-3.

Despite of the second failed bidding, Sec. Emilio Abaya is still confident that they would attract the interest of potential bidders to pass their proposal letters with them. Hence, they extended the deadline; it already started on January 23 until February 6. Does the time frame of the DOTC is already enough for the maintenance providers to decide if they want to work with the government? I don’t think so.

This is the problem with the DOTC, they are always in a hurry, but the problem is they don’t accomplish anything. Like when they plan to take over the MRT-3 because according to them they wanted to lessen the subsidy that they are paying for every train commuter. But it was also became failed after the Congress didn’t support it. Then, they decided to implement fare increase in MRT-LRT with the same reason although they have a poor service. They have been criticized by the public; they don’t fix the problems in MRT-3 before they made the fare increase. Sec. Abaya said they need to do this for the maintenance of the MRT-3. But the Congress was already allotted a budget for the train maintenance that is included in our national budget. So, they need additional budget for that and they will get it from the train commuters?

For sure, if there are still no companies would join in the bidding process; the DOTC will still retain the service of APT Global. And we knew that they are not giving the right service for the MRT. It also means that the mechanical problems will just continue. Let us hope that there are maintenance providers would join in their third bidding process. We should also hope that ‘kumpadre and kamag-anak system’ would not prevail. They just select the best company that will suit to the work in MRT-3. But whoever they are, good luck to them!