New Plates Available by September

The newest car plates will now have four numbers on it, while the motorcy-
cle plates will have five numbers in it. The respective number of letters re-
main the same. LTO

The much-awaited issuance of modern license plates by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), containing several advanced security features and a new alphanumeric design, will finally push through before the end of next month, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

“The public can start enjoying the benefits of cutting-edge standardized license plates before the end of September. They need not wait much longer,” said DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal.  

The 5-year contracts for the supply of motor vehicle (MV) license plates, amounting to around PHP 1.989 billion, and the supply of motorcycle (MC) license plates, amounting to around PHP 1.196 billion, have been awarded to the joint venture of J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development Concepts, Inc.

The DOTC will now have 10 days to finalize the supply contracts, after which a notice to proceed will be issued to the winning bidder. The consortium will then have 30 days to deliver the license plates to the LTO.

This means that by the end of September, vehicle owners will begin receiving plates with new alphanumeric designs: the MV plates will now have a 3-letter, 4-number combination, and the MC plates will have a 2-letter, 5-number combination. The private vehicle plates will also come in a black-and-white design, with a look similar to those in more advanced countries such as Singapore and parts of Europe.

The latest technologies adopted as multiple security features include laser-etched bar codes containing selective data inputs which will allow data verification with the LTO, reflective sheeting material with security images which cannot be removed by any known method without damaging the sheeting, which will allow license plate visibility even from wide-entrance angles and up to a distance of 100 feet, for both daytime and nighttime, and anodized bolt head screws and nuts with serial numbers, which will prevent tampering and removal of the license plates from the vehicle bodies once installed.

“The new security features will promote safety and reliability in accordance with international quality standards,” Sagcal added. “They will prevent the tampering, theft, and falsification of license plates, mitigating carnapping, colorum, and smuggling practices.”

With respect to various issues raised by losing bidders and other interested parties in connection with the bidding out of this project, the DOTC has already satisfactorily addressed their questions.

“What matters is that the DOTC conducted an open, fair, and transparent bidding in accordance with procurement laws,” remarked Sagcal.

NAIA 3 to Go Full Blast by 2014

The NAIA Terminal 3 is nearing full completion. Jed Segovia

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Takenaka Corporation of Japan for the latter to complete and integrate the systems works for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Under the terms of the agreement, Takenaka, the original subcontractor, will complete the works within 12 months, allowing Terminal 3 to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2014. These works include baggage handling, flight information displays, computer terminals, gate coordination, and fire protection systems, among others.

With this agreement in place, the DOTC commits to having Terminal 3 fully operational by August 2014.

The full operation of Terminal 3 will allow a faster and more pleasant experience for passengers flying in and out of Manila.  This will also boost the administration’s tourism efforts and make air travel more convenient and efficient, by doubling Terminal 3’s annual capacity to 13 million domestic and international passengers.

The rehabilitation and completion of works on Terminal 3 coincides with other DOTC projects that will further enhance the quality and safety of Philippine aviation.

These include the adoption of a world-class aviation system known as the CNS/ATM (Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) System, which is now being implemented and will be fully operational by November 2015.

Other improvement projects for various airports across the country are the P 434.5 million Upgrading of Night Landing Operations Project and the P 258.9 million Installation/Upgrading of Airfield Lighting Systems and Upgrading of Power Supply Systems Project, both of which are currently being bid out by the transport agency.

DOTC Statement on the Lifting of the EU Ban

“The European Commission (EC) has cleared the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which means that the EC may now rely on CAAP’s judgment regarding the safety standards being implemented by airlines used by EU citizens within the country. EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux attributes this development to the ‘improved safety oversight provided by competent authorities of the Philippines,’ which serves as an assurance to the public of the country’s compliance with international aviation safety standards. Philippine Airlines has also been allowed to operate flights to the EU again, while Cebu Pacific will have the opportunity to be reevaluated within six months. We anticipate this lifting of the EU ban to have a significant impact on the country’s economic thrust, and look forward to greater ties with the EU community.”

-DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya

PH Transit App Challenge On

With an upcoming competition, it will become more convenient for the com-
muters to know the latest traffic situation.

The launch of the first national transport application (app) development competition led by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will be held tomorrow, 2 July 2013, in partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Cebu City Government.

In a move to maximize the conveniences made possible by modern technology in delivering its services to the people, the transport agency is opening its database on bus, train, and jeepney routes in Metro Manila, called the Philippine Transit Information Service (PTIS), to the public via the Philippine Transit App Challenge.

The competition will be a three-month long hack-at-home event – a new trend in the IT community which allows software developers to create apps at their own pace and on their own time, using the same data sets provided to them.  Based on the international experience, hack-at-home events lead to the development of a broad spectrum of apps, many of which were not previously conceived and which give end-users a wide range of products to utilize and enjoy.

“We are very excited about the challenge and we expect it to bring out a lot of innovation from software developers. The goal is to create all sorts of apps which will make commuting in Metro Manila much more convenient,” said DOTC spokesperson Migs Sagcal.

The PTIS database contains previously-unavailable data gathered from participating agencies such as the MMDA, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3), the Philippine National Railways (PNR), the Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM).

It will contain two kinds of data sets: regularly-updated geographic location and service information on bus, train, and jeepney routes in Metro Manila, as well as live traffic incident data streams in both Metro Manila and Cebu City.

This means that the commuters will now be able to easily check the various routes available to take from one point to another, including how many transfers each route will require, how much fare will be needed, and how much travel time will be involved. This will allow the public to make better-informed decisions when they plan their trips, resulting in more convenience and efficiency, and a better passenger experience overall.

“The point is to empower the public with better decision-making abilities using our data.  This project stems from government’s effort to look at public service delivery from the viewpoint of the end-user, and to make commuting better for everyone,” Sagcal remarked.

The Philippine Transit App Challenge, which will be open to all interested app developers, will be launched at the Toyota Auditorium of the University of the Philippines’ Asia Learning Center in Diliman, Quezon City, on 2 July 2013 at 9:30 AM.  More details about the event are available on the competition’s official website, philippine-transit.hackathome.com.

DOTC Plans Key MRT 3 Projects

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is about to conduct bid evaluation and post-qualification exercises for two key projects for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 System, namely: the PHP712 million MRT-3 System Temporary Maintenance Provider Project & Delivery of MRT-3 Magnetic Ticket Project. 

After opening the eligibility documents of three groups which vied for the one-year Maintenance project on 3 June 2013, the DOTC’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) found only one proponent, Autre Porte Technique (or “APT”) Global, Inc., to have qualified for the next stages of the bidding process. 

“APT Global submitted a bid in the amount of around PHP685 million. Financial proposals of the two other interested groups were no longer opened after they were found to be ineligible,” said DOTC spokesperson Migs Sagcal. 

The disqualified groups were Asiaphil Manufacturing Industries, Inc. in Joint Venture with Korea Railroad, which did not comply with sealing and marking requirements of Republic Act No. 9184 (the Procurement Law); and Commbuilders & Technology Philippines Corporation, which failed to submit a certificate of satisfactory performance. 

“Unfortunately, it once more came down to two groups’ failure to comply with the bid requirements. Time and again, we have said that the DOTC-BAC can do nothing but to follow the Procurement Law, which prohibits it from exercising discretion” Sagcal added. 

As for the magnetic ticket supply project, only the current MRT-3 contractor submitted a proposal during the bid opening conducted on Thursday last week, 30 May 2013. The Transport agency disclosed that Banner Plasticard, Inc. offered to supply and deliver 4,252,000 magnetic tickets to the DOTC-MRT3 in the amount of PHP25 million. 

The financial proposals of the eligible bidders for both projects will now undergo detailed evaluation, after which their bids will be subjected to post-qualification exercises. 

The relatively short duration of these projects – one year for the maintenance contract and thirty days for the ticket supply contract – is partly due to the eventual buyout of the owner of the MRT-3 facilities pursuant to Executive Order No. 126 issued by President Benigno S. Aquino III last March, as well as the transition to an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), now being bid out by the DOTC as a Public-Private Partnership Project, by the first quarter of 2015.

DOTC Moves Laguindingan Airport Opening for Passenger Convenience

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) today announced that it has decided to push back the transfer of the gateway to Northern Mindanao from the old Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City to the new P 7.8-Billion Laguindingan Airport by one-and-a-half months to June 15, 2013 in order to avoid disrupting passengers’ travel plans over the summer.

The Transport Department has conducted a walk-through at the Laguindingan Airport and was very pleased with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) preparations for the intended April 30 opening.  However, CAAP has received requests from airline companies to postpone the transfer until after the summer peak season, because the April 30 opening would require the cancellation of several daily trips.

According to the airline companies, their representatives were encountering difficulties in reaching a substantial number of passengers who had already purchased tickets for flights in April and May, to inform them of changes in their flight itineraries.

“It is in the best interest of the government and of the airlines to deliver safe and convenient services to the public,” said the DOTC. “As we took stock of the assessment of both CAAP and the airline companies that the Laguindingan Airport is already a safer alternative to the Lumbia Airport, we again listen to their inputs saying that postponing the transfer will be better for passenger convenience.”

“The postponement will give the airlines ample time to inform their customers of their new flight schedules at Laguindingan Airport.  This will lessen the possibility of disrupting travel plans and causing inconvenience to the riding public,” added the DOTC.

The airlines which operate at Cagayan de Oro are Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, PAL Express, and Zest Air. They serve a combined total average of over 2,000 passengers daily.  

The Laguindingan Airport is a key infrastructure project which is crucial to unlocking the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor to more tourism- and agriculture-oriented activities.

The government has previously announced that it will be temporarily operated by CAAP using Visual Flight Rules (VFR) until its air navigation equipment is fully in place by May 2014.

High Investor Confidence in DOTC AFCS Project Attracts Major Players

A total of nine (9) consortia involving major local and foreign conglomerates, banks, and IT companies submitted eligibility documents to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) last Friday (April 12), in an effort to qualify as bidders for the P 1.72-Billion Contactless Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) Public-Private Partnership Project.

“We are very pleased with the investor turnout for the AFCS Project. Serious players from the transportation, IT, banking, and retail industries–both local and foreign–all came out to seek pre-qualification to participate in the bidding of the project,” the Transport Department said.

The DOTC believes that this is proof of high investor confidence in the project, as well as in the agency itself.

“The fact that these major groups want to be the our private sector partner for the AFCS Project only goes to show their trust and confidence in the Department, and in our open, fair, and transparent bidding process,” added the DOTC.

The 9 consortia which submitted their qualification documents are:

• AF Consortium, composed of BPI Card Finance Corporation, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Smart Communications, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., and NTT Data Corporation.

AF Consortium will also rely on the required experience of Bank of the Philippine Islands, Octopus Transactions Ltd., SMRT International Pte. Ltd., Cubic Transportation Systems (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Accenture, Inc., MSI Global Private Ltd., and Indra Sistemas, S.A.

• Comworks Consortium, composed of Comworks, Inc., Philippine Gaming Management Corp., Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp., Acer, Inc., Infochamp Systems, Corp., and Berjaya Philippines, Inc.

• E-Trans Solutions Joint Venture, Inc. Consortium, composed of Tera Investments, Inc., Eastwest Banking Corp., Sagesoft Solutions, Inc., Pilipinas Micro-Matrix Technology (PMT Joint Venture), Inc., and Pulsar Avancer Technologie, Inc.

E-Trans Consortium will also rely on the required experience of Kentkart EGE Elektronik San. Ve Tic. A.S., Kentkart Marmara Elektronik Turizm San. Ve Tic. A.S., Kentkart Cukurova Elektronik San. Ve Tic. A.S., and JTKC Equities, Inc.

• Lamco Consortium, composed of Lamco Paper Products Co., Inc., New San Jose Builders, Inc., Landbank of the Philippines, and NEC Philippines, Inc.

Lamco Consortium will also rely on the required experience of Busan Transport Corp. and Samwon FA Co., Ltd.

• Mega Lucky United Consortium, composed of Asia United Bank Corporation, Dignitas Equity, Mega Cellular Network, Inc., and Gravitas 777.

Mega Lucky Consortium will also rely on the required experience of Korea Smart Card Corp. and LG CNS Co. Ltd.

• Megawide-Suyen-Eurolink Consortium, composed of Megawide Construction Corp., Suyen Corp., and Eurolink Network International Corp.

Megawide-Suyen-Eurolink Consortium will also rely on the required experience of EZ-Link Pte. Ltd. and China National Software and Service Co., Ltd.

• MTD-PRLM Consortium, composed of MTD Capital BHD and Puregold Realty Leasing and Management, Inc.

MTD-PRLM Consortium will also rely on the required experience of Puregold Price Club, Inc., Maybank Philippines, Inc., and Transit Link Pte. Ltd.

• San Miguel Transport Solutions Consortium, composed of Optimal Infrastructure Development, Inc., Catchweight Holdings, Inc., Deltacrest Holdings, Inc., and Allcard Plastics Philippines, Inc.

San Miguel Consortium will also rely on the required experience of Petron Corp., Philippine National Bank, Singapore Technologies Electronics, Ltd., Korea Railroad Corp., Korail Networks Co., Ltd., Vix Technology (East Asia), Ltd., and San Miguel Corporation.

• SM Consortium, composed of SM Investments Corp., BDO Capital and Investment Corp., Advanced Card Systems, Ltd., and Pentacapital Investment Corp.

SM Consortium will also rely on the required experience of SM Retail, Inc., BDO Unibank, Inc., and Goldsign Data Company, Ltd.

The joint DOTC-LRTA Pre-Qualification, Bids, and Awards Committee (PBAC) has a maximum of twenty-five (25) days from April 12 to evaluate the qualification documents submitted by the 9 consortia, and to announce the shortlisted groups. Actual bidding is scheduled to take place in the third quarter of this year.