HYUNDAI BRINGS INNOVATIVE, SAFETY CULTURE INTO NORTH-SOUTH COMMUTER RAILWAY PROJECT

"We are making our best efforts to fulfill the President's directive of 'Full Speed Ahead!'"

South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Dong Ah Geological, as a jont venture, has begun laying the system for the southern part of the NorthSouth Commuter Railway Project in the Philippines, integrating modern technologies and establishing safety construction practices among Filipinos.

Hyundai is taking charge of the area stretching from Sucat in Muntinlupa City to Calamba City in Laguna.

Nine stations will be built along this 31.5-kilometer distance, and will serve up to 600,000 passengers daily.

The entire railway project covers Clark in Pampanga to Calamba in

Laguna, and is targeted to be completed by

2028.

Hyundai

Project Director

Hyung Tae

Jeong said the firm is working at "full speed" as directed by President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Since the project's groundbreaking ceremony in July last year, Hyundai has been setting up its yard construction area in Laguna for completion this month.

The successful execution of this 31.5km section is critical to the overall success of the South Commuter Railway Project, promising to make a significant and lasting impact on the nation's developmental path and enhancing its global reputation in the field of infrasturcture innovation.

Once the railway begins operations, the government said travel time of passengers will be cut by half from 2 hours, which is the usual for bus transport.

"We can trace the developments in specific segments of the project. It's like a digital map for getting actual data anytime through their smartphones"

Safety culture training center and Smart construction

To enhance the efficient management of large-scale projects, HDJV has declared its commitment to implementing the cutting- edge Smart Project Management System. Furthermore, with the support of DOTr, HDJV will establish the first Safety Culture Training Center in the Philippines to take root for a safety culture in the Philippines.

CSR Initiatives

In addition to the technical efforts, HDJV's CSR focuses on aiding underprivileged communities in construction local areas. Initiatives include distributing over 200 school supplies and groceries to these groups in each city, starting in Santa Rosa last December.

Additionally, a childcare center is planned for Santa Rosa, targeting support specifi-cally to those in need. These actions aim to directly improve education and nutrition in vulnerable communities, offer crucial sup- port to working parents, and enhance over- all community well-being and sustainable growth.

Technical improvement of bridges

Backed by innovative and efficient culture, Hyundai is also proposing a revised design for bridges in a cost saving and structurally safe way, which involve the balanced cantilever bridge and the precast segment bridge.

Jeong said the revised design will bring, as a win-win strategy, between DOTr and Hyundai, not only cost savings but also safer working cir- cumstance.

The joint venture between Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Dong Ah Geological, known as HDJV, is at the forefront of the Philippines South Commuter Railway Project, demonstrating significant progress. Tasked with Package 4, 5, and 6 (SCRP S-04, S-05, S-06), their current focus is on the essential 31.5 kilometer stretch from Muntinlupa to Calamba. This initiative moved forward after a contract signing ceremony in October 2022, which was attended by the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., (Seated, center) Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista (Seated, right) and C.E.O of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Young-Joon Yoon (left), highlighting the project's critical importance.

On January 10, 2024, the project office was inaugurated, estab- lishing a central hub for efficient management and seamless communication throughout the project's lifecycle, which was at- tended by Transportation Undersecretary for rail transportation Jeremy Regino (fourth right) and C.E.O of Hyundai Young-Joon Yoon (third right). Jeremy Regino said "local government units (LGUs) are the primary beneficiaries of the NSCR project and are the principal actors in our effort to speed up its completion, and once the project is completed, the region will never be the same again".

Through the joint efforts of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and Dong Ah Geological, the HDJV embodies a synergy of technical expertise and experience, essential for tackling the challenges presented by such a large-scale infrastructure project. Committed to sustainable development and community engagement, the joint venture aims to set a benchmark for future infrastructure endeavors in the Philippines.

On July 3, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony for this ambitious project took place, officially marking the commencement of construction. The event was further illuminated by the presence of key figures, including the Mayor of Santa Rosa Arlene Arcillas, alongside other distinguished guests, highlighting the local and national support for the project.