2010, July 12. Light Rail Transit
Authority (LRTA), 30th Anniversary
Litho Offset.
Amstar Company, Inc. Perf. 14.
Se-tenant
Blocks of 4, Sheets of 40; Souvenir
Sheets of 4, Imperforate
Se-tenant
Blocks of Four (45,000)
7p Train 1 & Tracks Overview
7p Train 2 & Left-side View
7p Train 3 & Right-side View
7p Train 4 & Front View
40p
Souvenir Sheets of Four (7,000)
Graphic Designer: Annie Pacana-Lumbao
Photographer: Jojo Vitug
Design Coordinators: Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak, Victorino Serevo
First Day Covers: Manila & Pasay
City

Light Rail
Transit Authority (LRTA) - 30th Anniversary
On July 12, 1980, the country’s president, Ferdinand E. Marcos,
created the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as a government
agency. The Chairman was the then First Lady and Governor of Metro
Manila, Imelda Romualdez Marcos. This LRTA confined its activities
to determining policies, to the regulation and fixing of fares, and
to the planning of extensions to the system. The project was called
Metrorail and was operated by a sister company of the former tramway
company Meralco, called Metro, Inc.
Initial assistance for building the LRT project came from the
Belgian government which granted a P300 million “soft” and
interest-free loan with a repayment time of 30 years. The project
was expected to pay for itself within a period of 20 years out of
revenue alone. A Belgian consortium consisting of ACEC (Ateliers de
Constructions Electriques de Charleroi, BN), (Constructions
Ferroviaires et Metalliques, formerly Brugeoise et Nivelles), TEI (Tractionnel
Engineering International) and TC (Transurb Consult) provided an
additional loan of P700 million. The consortium provided the cars,
signaling, power control, telecommunications, training and technical
assistance. The entire system was expected to be financially ‘in the
red? well into 1993. Against an expected gross revenue of P365
million for the first operating year, government losses were thought
likely to reach P216 million. The system was designed as a public
utility rather than as a profit center.
Construction of the line
started in October 1981, and was the responsibility of CDCP
(Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines), with
assistance from the Swiss firm of Losinger and the American company
Dravo, the latter, through its Philippine subsidiary. The government
appointed Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zurich (Switzerland)
to manage and supervise the project. Electrowatt set up offices in
Manila and became responsible for extension studies of the system.