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The Department of Transportation has again declared failure of bidding for a consultant that will conduct the feasibility studies for the proposed Samar-Leyte Railway and Panay Railway projects
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All five bidders were declared ineligible during the bid opening on October 20
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The P157.208 million consultancy services is for the Samar-Leyte Railway Project feasibility study and updating the feasibility study for the Panay Railway Project
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has again declared failure of bidding for a consultant that will conduct the feasibility studies for the proposed Samar-Leyte Railway and Panay Railway projects.
All five submitted bids were declared ineligible, according to a notice issued on November 3 by the Bids and Awards Committee for Planning and Project Development Office.
DOTr last year tried to bid out the consultancy services for the two projects separately, but both were declared failed. Last August 29, the department again posted a request for expression of interest, but cancelled a few days after on September 5.
On October 10, it again posted a request for expression of interest, and the opening of shortlisting documents proceeded on October 20, which was streamed live on the DOTr’s official Facebook page.
READ: DOTr looking for consultant to conduct study on 2 Visayas railway projects
The P157.208 million consultancy services is for assisting the government in project preparation of railway investments in the Western and Eastern Visayas regions. The consultant will be required to carry out the feasibility study for the Samar-Leyte Railway Project and updating the feasibility study for the Panay Railway Project.
According to the project’s terms of reference, the Visayas Region, particularly Western Visayas (Region VI) and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII), lacks an operational rail transport system. At present, the movement of people and goods between cities relies primarily on road-based modes of transportation, including trucks, buses, jeepneys, tricycles, and private vehicles.
“Implementing railway projects like the Panay Railway and Samar-Leyte Railway would significantly enhance mobility, reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and support economic growth in these regions,” the TOR states.
The proposed Panay Railway and Samar-Leyte Railway projects aim to transform regional mobility projects and are in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, which emphasizes the enhancement of physical connectivity and the development of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable infrastructure.
The proposed projects also support the objectives of the Visayas Spatial Development Framework (VSDF) 2015-2045, which envisions a more integrated and balanced spatial development across the Visayas sub-regions.
“By connecting major urban centers, agricultural production zones, and ports in Panay, Samar, and Leyte, the railway systems will serve as a backbone for integrated regional development, supporting the VSDF’s thrust toward spatial equity, resilience, and economic convergence,” according to the TOR.
Moreover, it said the establishment of the railway systems will not only significantly shorten travel time and lower logistics expenses but will also unlock economic opportunities by linking key agricultural, industrial, and urban areas.
