A three-man team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had conducted on Wednesday, 22 February 2023, a site inspection of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) depot facilities and Control Center and appreciated the completion of overhauling work of its 72 light rail vehicles (LRVs).
After the site inspection, the JICA team expressed appreciation of the performance of the leadership of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) that operates the rail line through the MRT-3 management headed by General Manager Engr. Federico J. Canar Jr.
“We would like to express our deep appreciation for DOTr’s leadership in completing the overhaul of the 72 light rail vehicles, which is one of the major components of the ongoing Metro Rail Transit-3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project,” the JICA team said in a letter.
The MRT-3 is one of the railway systems that the JICA team intends to visit as part of the JICA’s technical assistance project to the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI).
The technical assistance project aims to facilitate the effective transfer of technical expertise to best operate the Philippines’ railway system through the PRI, the DOTr’s research and training center focused on human resource development of the railway sector.
The JICA team was composed of JICA Infrastructure Management Department Senior Engineering Officer Aoki Shinji, JICA Philippines Office Representative Kawahashi Takehiro, and Senior Program Officer Patrick San Juan who went on to observe the ongoing maintenance work at the rail line.
Upon arrival, the JICA team was welcomed by MRT-3 Director for Operations Engr. Oscar B. Bongon, Engineering Division Officer-in-Charge Engr. Jose Rodante P. Sabayle, and Transport Division Officer-in-Charge Engr. Nestor V. Delos Santos, Jr.
Also, the MRT-3 executives who also welcomed the JICA team included Administrative Division Officer-in-Charge Remedios Mationg, Office of the General Manager Chief-of-Staff Engr. Jacob C. Bendana, Technical Assistant Engr. Jayson R. Cabanilla, and Technical Assistant A Jassleen L. Torres.
