ALI to start works on Taguig ITX in H2

MANILA, Philippines - Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), which broke ground Wednesday on the Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange (ITX) formerly called Integrated Transport System – South, is set to begin construction works in the second half.

In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the construction works would begin in the second half.

The project will cover a six-story building on a 5.57-hectare property inside the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) compound which would have passenger concourse, a centralized ticketing area and several business and retail establishments.

It will also have a provision for 1,200 public utility buses and vehicles’ bays and parking. 

When completed, the Taguig ITX can accommodate 4,000 buses and 160,000 passengers daily.

It will also feature a pedestrian walkway connection to the Philippine National Railways FTI station and the proposed subway system.

The Taguig ITX will cater to all provincial buses plying the south of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao destinations.

ALI was awarded the project under the public-private partnership program during the previous administration after it submitted the lowest annual grantor payment (AGP) of P277.9 million.

AGP is the payment the government will make to the concessionaire.

When AGP offers are made by firms, the lowest bid is declared the winner.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade held discussions with ALI to forego the AGP which is supposed to be paid on a yearly basis for 35 years.

Based on the discussions, Tugade said the parties were able to come up with a win-win solution.

“Two things will be done – the P277 million per year for the next 35 years will no longer be paid, saving the government, this country, no less than P9 billion cashout annually. And two, from the start of its commercial operation, until the end of the concession agreement, ALI will share two percent of their income from the commercial spaces in favor of the government,” Tugade said.

The Taguig ITX, which would contribute to decongesting EDSA, is expected to start operations by the first half of 2020.