AMBITIOUS plans to build a complete railway network from scratch on the Philippine island of Mindanao are running into trouble. A report by consultants Louis Berger concedes that the 1436 km network would be a good idea, but says that it would be preferable to build feeder roads from farms to markets and the existing road network rather than devote considerable funds to a rail network linking major cities in 15 provinces.
The report was commissioned following a hitch with the original plan put forward by a private-sector development group. This won the approval of government and was added to a list of prestige proposals drawn up by the Presidential Committee on Flagship Programmes & Projects. But the backers ’disappeared’, forcing the government to pigeonhole the scheme pending further study.
The Berger report may delay progress, although it seems that the rail network still has support. Further studies are now being made with a view to tackling the project in smaller bites. Andrew Drake & Associates of California has been tasked with identifying at least one route that can be completed within the next four years. This and other routes would be offered for private developers to take forward. Most likely to be built is an 86 km line between Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City costed at 74bn pesos.
