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Friday, March 29, 2024

Metro Pacific Tollways, Japan Expressway sign accord

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A consortium of major Philippine and Japanese expressway players recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on technical cooperation and exchange of information regarding areas of mutual interest in their respective expressway systems.    

Witnessed by its Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) executed the MOU with Japan Expressway International Co. Ltd. (JEXWAY), Central Nippon Expressway Co. Ltd (NEXCO Central) and Metropolitan Expressway Co. Ltd. (MEX) to commence the exchange of information on engineering expertise and technology and cooperate on matters concerning designing, building and managing expressways.

Metro Pacific Tollways, Japan Expressway sign accord
TOLLWAY COOPERATION. Four tollway firms—one from the Philippines and three from Japan—signed a Memorandum of Understanding   that will advance the business goals of each firm. Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation   of thePhilippines and three Japanese firms, Japan Expressway International Company Limited (JEXWAY), Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO Central), and Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited (MEX) signed an accord for Technical and Information Exchange that assures sharing of systems and technologies concerning expressways and allied fields. Each party hopes to strengthen its company’s market position that will accelerate tollway business growth strides. Signing the MOU are (seated from left): MPTC president and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco, MPTC chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, (center) and JEXWAY president Dr. Koji Kuroda. Also in photo are (standing from left): MPTC SVP for communication and stakeholder management Romulo S Quimbo, Jr., NLEX Corp. president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista, NEXCO Central managing director Takeo Nakamura, MEX executive officer Hiroshi Dobashi, and JEXWAY board member/senior director for Project Development Toru Suzuki. 

 Covered by the MOU are asset management and repair of at-grade and elevated road and bridge sections, tunnel design and construction and the use of best practices to monitor the structural performance of expressway assets and facilities including technical audits to address all kinds of conditions and requirements.

MPTC President and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco said:  “We are very happy to sign this technical cooperation agreement with JEXWAY, NEXCO Central and MEX, as this will allow us to tap into the wealth of Japanese road engineering experience and technology,” including Japan’s history of effectively responding to and managing to natural disasters.

“This expertise comes in handy,” Franco added, as we prepare ourselves to manage our roadways effectively in cases of emergencies like earthquakes and other natural calamities.”

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 For his part, JEXWAY President Dr. Koji Kuroda said: “Japan lies on the so-called ‘ring of fire’ and volcanic eruption are very common.” During disasters, “operations and maintenance (O&M) is key” as the expressways are the most important infrastructure in the region.      

MPTC is the largest toll road developer and operator in the Philippines in terms of annual average daily traffic and combined length of the expressway network. MPTC’s tollway concessions include the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, the Cavite Expressway, the NLEX Connector, the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway. MPTC also has significant investments in tollway companies in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. 

JEXWAY has been established jointly by five Japanese expressway companies to develop global expressway projects. Together with other Japanese institutions, JEXWAY has led international efforts to take advantage of the technology and know-how cultivated by Japan’s expressway companies over the past fifty years.  

Signing as witnesses were, for NLEX—President J. Luigi Bautista and Senior VP for Communication and Stakeholder Management Romulo Quimbo, Jr.; for the Japanese firms–JEXWAY Senior Director Toru Suzuki,  NEXCO Central Managing Director Takeo Nakamura, and MEX Executive Officer Dr. Hiroshi Dobashi.

After the MOU signing, MPTC, JEXWAY, NEXCO Central and MEX—jointly conducted a seminar attended by the technical teams of the firms, focusing on engineering, electronic toll collection systems and commercial areas development.

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