The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has put the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project on hold after San Miguel Corp. scrapped the plan due to environmental objections.
“We wrote the SMC Infrastructure on the reported withdrawal or abandonment of the project. Up to this time, we have not received an official communication from SMC Infra,” Alvin Carullo, executive director at TRB, said.
“It [PAREX] is already in the final engineering design stage. [But] because of recent developments, the obard deferred the deadline of submission of FED for six months,” he added.
Carullo said San Miguel has six months from March to send official communications to the TRB.
“If the TRB receives the official communications, then we will give the proper report to the board,” he said.
Under a supplemental toll operations agreement or STOA, Carullo said there will be consequences if the government withdraws from the project.
“If they (San Miguel) were to unilaterally withdraw, the government has no financial obligation. But if the government itself terminates (the project), there will be legal and financial consequences,” he said.
“Technically, it is still on the table because they have not given confirmation that they are terminating the contract or the project,” Carullo added.
Ramon S. Ang, president and chief executive of San Miguel earlier said the PAREX project will not push through because of concerns raised by environmental and conservation activists.
“We are very sensitive to the opinion of the public. If the public thinks this is not good for public welfare, we will not do it,” Ang said.
The P81.53 billion PAREX project is a six-lane, 19.37-kilometer, all-elevated expressway that traverses the Pasig River from Radial Road 10 in the City of Manila and the proposed South East Metro Manila Expressway at Circumferential Road 6.
The project will connect and use a 2.7-kilometer portion of Skyway Stage 3 from Nagtahan to Plaza Azul.
San Miguel Corp. earlier said it has invested P2 billion to clean up the Pasig River and incorporate a bus rapid transit system, bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways in the project.
