MM subway project to generate thousands of jobs

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The P357-billion Metro Manila subway project (MMSP) is expected to generate thousands of jobs as actual construction work is set to start by early next year with the arrival of the first two tunnel boring machines (TBMs).

In a virtual press briefing on Friday, Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation said despite the pandemic, the project is on track to be completed and start partial operation by end 2021.

The project will generate 9,000 direct employments and 40,000 to 50,000 indirect employment, according to Tugade.

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Koji Haneda, Japanese ambassador to the Philippines, said the project is expected to generate a lot of employment and help stimulate local businesses reeling from the new coronavirus disease 2019 crisis.

“I hope it can help lead the Philippines to a possible V-shaped economic recovery, while it lays down the foundation for a more prosperous next generation,” said Haneda.

The project is funded by an official development assistance loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency amounting to around P290 billion. The Philippine government counterpart is around P90 billion

The stations from Valenzuela to North Avenue, Quezon City will start operation by 2021 and full completion by 2026.

One of the actual TBMs has undergone factory acceptance test.

One of the six TBMs manufactured by JIM Technology Corp. is expected to arrive in the country by January while the succeeding one will be in February. The TBMs will be used to fast-track the construction of the partial operability section of the MMSP.

The TBMs are integral in building the subway as these are used to excavate tunnels using a circular cross-section mechanism.

MMSP is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations, with a design capacity that can accommodate up to 1.5 million passengers per day.

This will interconnect with LRT-2 at Anonas Station; with the North-South Commuter Railway at Senate, FTI, and Bicutan Stations; and with LRT-1 and MRT-7 at the Common Station.

This will also feature technological advancements and disaster-resilient strategies with the guidance of Japan’s expertise in railways, that aims to strengthen the subway’s structural integrity amid regular occurrence of typhoons and earthquakes.

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