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After the Senate hearing last September 1, 2014 was about the derailment of train coaches last August 13, 2014, and, was looking into the constant train breakdowns which caused the riding public to question the management of MRT3. Being said, that the probe makes the government officials to extend their strategy by way of interpolating the suggestions done by the Senators.

Some of the concerned political people are questioning the integrity of the present maintenance company that won the bidding through the effort of former MRT3 Manager Al Vitangcol and Wilson T. de Vera. The said contract was allegedly and totally manipulated even the company had not enough funds in maintaining this kind of train system at MRT3.


The DOTC entered into a negotiated procurement to replace Sumitomo. It hired the Philippine Trams Rail Management and Services Corp. (PH Trams) and Comm Builders and Technology Inc. (CB&T) joint venture as interim maintenance provider for a monthly service fee of $1.15 million. The existing maintenance provider Global Autre Porte Technique won the bidding for the one-year maintenance contract worth P712.7-million which raised the eyebrows of politically inclined groups.

The MRTC, as owner of the MRT3 system, should be the one to hire the maintenance service provider and government’s role under the build-lease-transfer agreement is to pay for the service. The MRTC hired Japanese firm Sumitomo Corp. to maintain the MRT3 system for its first 10 years and its contract was extended for two years. Sumitomo Corp., which built the MRT3 system, reportedly charged the government $2.1 million on a monthly basis.

And, MRTC as owners, the trains should be maintained properly. If they are maintained properly, they will run properly. When it was Sumitomo that maintained it for 12 years, it was already servicing 500,000 commuters a day . The waiting time was fine and the lines are short. But at present, commuters did sacrifice for their way of life through the unwanted decision-making of DOTC Secretary Emilio Abaya which for sure, doesn’t have enough expertise to manage the MRT3-EDSA .

The DOTC and MRTC were moving in separate directions which resulted to damage the image of the whole management. Because of its negative image done by MRT3 Manager Al Vitangcol and Wilson T. de Vera, the present situation became worst and continuously damages the whole operation. At that time, there’s a scarcity of “technically competent and financially capable” contractors since the government took on the role of bidding out the maintenance contract in 2012, in which, the resulted outcome has been appearing all the time.

Because of the Senate hearing feedbacks to DOTC Secretary, government’s eventual plan of privatizing the operation and maintenance of the MRT3 system is preventing the DOTC from bidding out a longer maintenance contract.


Their purpose could be shown with all their actions to carry out the full services intended for the riding public and to erase the negative aspects of their management at MRT3.

Another bid must be carried out by the DOTC, but other government officials were against by their action. Instead they wanted the MRTC to do the contract because of the BLT Agreement.

What will happen for the next chapter of the MRT3 story? Is there another hearing for former MRT3 Manager Al Vitangcol and Wilson T. de Vera? Let’s wait and see.

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