BAGUIO CITY – The construction of the Baguio City Integrated Terminal (BCIT) is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year, after Megawide and city officials personally conducted a site inspection along Marcos Highway, Barangay Dontogan, Baguio City, on February 18.
Megawide Construction Corporation Engineering is the winning company that will build the BCIT at a cost of P1.186 billion on a 5-hectare location along Marcos Highway, about five kilometers from the Central Business District of Baguio City.
The contract between Megawide and the city government was signed on January 21, which is the city’s first flagship project under the Private Public Partnership (PPP) scheme, which began negotiations in 2020.
During the media presentation of the project, Edgar Saavedra, chairman and chief executive officer of Megawide, said that although we almost went through the eye of a needle, it was a fair contract and a transparent process, before this project was implemented.
Saavedra also assured that they will fulfill their obligation to make BCIT a “world-class intermodal terminal” like they made the quality Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and Clark International Airport also under PPP.
“Thank you to the people of Baguio for welcoming us and we will assure the city government, especially the Mayor, that this project will be transparent and we will do what will help to alleviate traffic in the city.”
He said that the city really needs this project, so that buses entering the city can operate systematically from a single location, to reduce traffic in the CBD.
According to Megawide, BCIT will have quality facilities, with barracks for drivers and a motor pool so that buses will no longer have to be brought to the CBD for check-ups.
Megawide also ensured that passengers who get off at BCIT will be provided with protection, as in addition to the public vehicles waiting, they have shuttle buses that will take them to the CBD.
Currently, the city government is still arranging the relocation of about 28 households living in the area where BCIT will be built, including the current Materials Recovery Facility, so that the project can begin as soon as possible.
“We have already relocated our MRF, not far from the area and its road is being repaired and the households already have a relocation site, so maybe in the second quarter of this year the project will start,” said Mayor Benjanim Magalong.
Magalong also explained that all buses, including UV Express, mini-buses will be relocated once the new terminal is built and Victory Liner, which has its own terminal, is still obligated to park its buses at BCIT.
In this regard, Arnel Gabaig, Victory-Baguio terminal manager, expressed their support for the planned BCIT. “We will assign more than 50 percent of our buses to this new facility. We will assign the Pangasinan, Olongapo trips to BCIT, so only a few routes will remain at our terminal here.”
According to Gabaig, they are also looking for a vacant lot near BCIT to build their own motorpool, so that their buses will not have to go to their terminal for check-ups.
The said BCIT will be built within three years, which will provide additional employment, business, revenue and rent of P1.5 monthly to Baguio City for 40 years. (By Zaldy Comanda)
