POLANGUI, Albay — Mayor Raymond Adrian Salceda of this premier municipality has ordered officials of barangays situated along the Philippine National Railways (PNR) route here to conduct information drive among railroad communities to avoid further accidents, following the death of a 21-year-old man who was hit by an afternoon train Friday last week.
Salceda has expressed alarm over the cases of railroad mishaps that already claimed two lives in his town since the PNR regular trips linking Camarines Sur and Albay has resumed last year. He also ordered the beefing up of barangay tanods along areas traversed by the railroad tracks.
The Jan. 19 incident occurred in Barangay Sugcad in Polangui, while the other case happened on November 6, 2023, involving a 29-year-old epileptic who reportedly fell on the tracks in Barangay Apad, and was ran over by the train. Another case was reported in Naga City on Nov. 20 last year.
Mayor Salceda has issued an executive order on Jan. 19, directing all the village officials to assign tanods and watchmen to oversee and warn residents during scheduled train trips.
“I also ordered the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office to coordinate with the police to conduct orientation and distribute information campaign materials to the residents near the railroads,” Salceda told media and stressed that the residents should take the measures seriously and avoid staying along the tracks.
The PNR train passes through eight populated villages of Polangui—Agos, Matacon, Lanigay, Sugcad, Magurang, Santicon, Apad, and Basud, a few of these villages are situated at the town center.
The Albay-Camarines Sur PNR train routes resumed operations last year. The route between Naga City in Camarines Sur and Ligao City in Albay began in July 2023 while the route linking Naga to Legazpi City, Albay’s capital and the regional center of Bicol, resumed on Dec. 27, 2023.
The resumption of the PNR Naga-Legazpi train service was strongly endorsed by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda. It is seen to ensure a more active commerce since it provides a cheaper and convenient mode of transport for passengers and merchandise alike between the two leading business hubs in the Bicol Region.
The train plies the Naga-Legazpi route twice a day, back and forth, with a stopover in Ligao City ferrying about 250 passengers per trip.
