MANILA (UPDATE) - Metro Pacific Investment Corp said on Monday it signed a deal with Malaysia's Hartasuma Sdn Bhd for rolling stock refurbishment projects for rails as well as the exploration of other modes of transport such as cable cars and monorails.

In a briefing, MPIC Chairman Manny Pangilinan said Hartasuma has been in the business for almost 3 decades, which bodes well for MPIC.

MPIC has an interest in LRT-1 via the Light Rail Manila Corp. LRMC operates 20 stations and is expanding with the construction of 5 new stations for the Cavite extension project.

Pangilinan said the company could also help explore other modes of transport that are ideal for the Philippines including cable cars and monorails.

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“We thought it’s good to partner with them for our requirement in LRT-1…Not only as a supplier but for other modes of transport... to build cable cars, monorails and we like to explore that opportunity to upgrade our modes of transport in the country,” he said.

"There is a lot for us to share. Together, we intend to explore innovations that can help us build the transport infrastructure of the future,” said Pangilinan.

Hartasuma said cable car systems are cheaper to build than rails, which do not require a huge mass of land.

In 2019, an official of the Asian Development Bank also said cable cars may be a feasible form of public transport for some parts of Metro Manila as it skips the need to buy large tracts of land, which often delays the construction of big-ticket infrastructure projects.

MPIC is also eyeing to build a “center for rail excellence” in the country, which will help in upskilling and reskilling workers here, officials said.

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