MANILA, Philippines – The SM Group has committed to partially shoulder the cost of the terminal which will connect the capital’s three train systems.

Sources said the government has confirmed the approval of the inter-agency Investment Coordination Committee for the proposed project by the Light Rail Transit Authority to put up the Metro Manila Integrated Rail Terminal across SM North Edsa mall. SM will be extending P200 million for the project.

SM’s financial assistance will bring down cost of the terminal from P778 million to P578 million. As a condition for the financial assistance, the station will be called the SM-Trinoma station. While SM will be shouldering portion of the cost for the terminal, Ayala Land, which owns and operates Trinoma mall, will fund the construction of the pedestrian walkway that will connect the SM North Edsa mall to Trinoma.

The LRTA, meanwhile, assured Malacanang that the agency will finish the construction of the LRT Line North Extension by December 2009.

The government has earlier deferred the approval of the terminal following a proposal from Vice President Noli de Castro, who is also chairman of the National Housing Agency (NHA), to locate the facility at the vacant NHA property beside Trinoma.

The facility, which may cost P1.5 billion, will connect MRT 3, which runs from Pasay to Quezon City; LRT 1, which stretches from Monumento to Baclaran; and MRT 7, which will span Commonwealth Avenue to Bulacan.

LRT1 and MRT 3 will soon be connected, allowing commuters to travel from Pasay to Caloocan City. Cheryl M. Arcibal, GMANews.TV