HondaPH continues support for medical frontliners SMC places first MRT-7 trains on tracks

HondaPH continues support for medical frontliners

SMC places first MRT-7 trains on tracks

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines, recently conducted its donation drive to hospitals around Laguna. This is part of the company’s continuing support to medical frontliners in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honda donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and food packs to three hospitals, namely The Medical City South Luzon and New Sinai MDI Hospital in Santa Rosa, Laguna; and Global Care Medical Center in Canlubang, Laguna. Along with that, Honda, during ECQ, also temporarily provided vehicles to these hospitals, along with four (4) other hospitals namely: Unihealth-Southwoods Hospital and Medical Center and Perpetual Help Medical Center in Biñan, Laguna; Global Care Medical Center in Cabuyao, Laguna; and Carmona Hospital and Medical Center in Carmona, Cavite.

“We are truly grateful to our medical frontliners who continuously provide the utmost care and service to numerous patients during this pandemic. We hope that through this activity, we are able to assist the hardworking and brave hospital personnel as they continue to face the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Delfin De Guzman, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. General Manager for Customer Service.

The proceeds of the recently sold Honda Team Mugen SF13 race car allowed HCPI to continue their support for the nation’s frontliners. To recap, the Team Mugen SF13 was brought to Philippines in 2014 following its championship winning year. The titlewinning Super Formula race car was showcased in select dealerships and events, including the 2014 Philippine International Motor Show.

To know more about the latest HCPI news, visit the nearest Honda Cars dealership, or access Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s virtual showroom through HCPI’s official website at www.hondaphil. com.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) unloaded and installed the first trainset for its Metro Rail Transit – 7 or MRT-7 project in Quezon City last Saturday morning, with the second trainset scheduled to arrive at the project site Sunday morning. The trainsets, which SMC ordered from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem, arrived recently at the Manila Port and are the first of six trainsets the company expects to arrive by end of the year.

The two train sets, consisting of three cars each, were shipped from Masan Port towards the end of August, were dispatched to the MRT-7 tracks between University Avenue and Tandang Sora, after clearing customs at the Port of Manila.

SMC, is the concessionholder for the project and is fully-funding construction of the 22-kilometer mass transit system that links up with the MRT-3 and LRT-1 and extends from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

SMC president Ramon S. Ang said that after the first trainset was delivered from the Manila port early Saturday morning, it was immediately set up at the site, with the second batch of train cars to be mounted by 2 am on Sunday, September 12.

“Our engineers and workers assigned to unload the trains have been at the site since early Saturday morning and will be there until the whole process is completed the following day. We have to be very thorough during the whole process to ensure that it is done efficiently and quickly while inspections are continuously being done,” Ang said.

The MRT-7 project is currently at 55.3% completion, despite pandemic restrictions and pending right-ofway issues. Workers have already completed the installation of bored piles, girders, and other foundational works.

The MRT-7 aims to reduce travel time from Quezon City to Bulacan to just 35 minutes, a luxury for daily commuters whose usual trips take hours due to traffic congestion and limited transport options.

SMC ordered a total of 36 trainsets or 108 cars from Hyundai ROTEM. The trainsets arrived in Manila last September 6 following extensive inspections and factory acceptance testing. South Korea’s national rail manufacturer, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), served as SMC’s adviser.

“South Korea has one of the world’s best railway transport systems and the arrival and eventual use of these trains for the MRT-7 will put our transportation system in NCR and overall infrastructure development, several notches higher,” Ang said.

A modern train system, MRT-7 will have electric power systems, computer and communications systems, signaling systems, and automatic fare systems, among others.