THE Regional Development Council in Davao Region (RDC-Davao Region) should be asking the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) about the reversions of the Mindanao Railway Project design, a Department of Transportation (DOTR) official said.
DOTR assistant secretary for railways and Mindanao projects Eymard Eje responded to the earlier statement of RDC-Davao Region chair Jayvee Tyron Uy asking for a comprehensive explanation of why the single-track and diesel-powered design was approved instead of their proposed dual-track, electric-powered railway.
“How can we explain, kung hindi naman kami ang pumili (If we did not chose it). We are not the proper authority to explain (because) in the first place hindi naman kami ang pumili nun. Kami yung implementing (agency) but we are not the decision maker for the project. It was Neda ICC (Investment Coordination Committee),” Eje said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao.
He said the first design proposed during the first quarter of 2017 for the Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway was single-track, diesel-powered.
DOTR secretary Arthur Tugade is said to have ordered a redesign and made it a two-track, electric-powered railway design.
Eje said it was the design submitted to the Neda Technical Board early 2018 but the original design was the one by Neda-ICC.
“It took the (Neda) technical board nine months before they endorsed sa Neda-ICC. But when it was eventually approved to Neda-ICC, ang kinuha nila is the old design (They chose the old design),” he said.
Based on the project evaluation report from the Neda-ICC, he said the considerations of Neda-ICC was the “economic rate of return.”
“Mas malaki daw ang economic rate of return but then we are really not the ones who made that report at di kami makapagsalita about that report (They said the single-track design has a faster economic rate of return and we cannot speak about it because we did not make the report),” he said.
He said the transportation secretary refused to raise the concern again because it would slow down the implementation of the project.
Eje added they retained the right of way acquisition design for a dual-track train.
“We are still open for changes. Ginawa namin retain the right of way size para in the event na iupgrade mo sya into the electric and dual-track, maluwag siya so we have enough rooms later on (We retained the right of way size so that in the event it will be upgraded to electric-powered and dual-track, we will have enough rooms),” he said.
He also belied Uy's statement that the DOTR has not responded to the RDC-Davao Region’s invitation for discussion.
“There was only one instance na hindi nakaattend yung representative namin kasi during the time, last February, yung nauuna sa agenda, pinagalitan ng ewan ko kung sino sa RDC, bakit daw representative lang (It was only once that our representative failed to attend),” he said.
“Sa amin, it was not a representative. They are those who are actually doing the project. Itong nandun na nagattend to explain the project, hindi na siya nabigyan ng chance kaya nung sumunod na araw hindi na siya nakaattend (The representative was not given the chance to explain the project),” he added.
He said the designs of the succeeding phases of the Mindanao Railway will still depend on Neda ICC’s decision.
“It will pass the same process. If Neda still chooses the single track,wala kaming magawa (We cannot do anything about it),” he said.