The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is committed to ensuring passenger safety, security, and the socioeconomic benefits of its ambitious rail projects.
During the second Philippine Railway Conference on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said that safety and security awareness need to be cascaded to every construction site of rail projects.
“Whether we build the elongated North-South Commuter Railway or the mammoth Metro Manila Subway or the pioneering Mindanao Railway, we should always be safety and security conscious at every phase of construction,” Bautista said.
Bautista noted that equally vital is the socio-economic impacts of rail infrastructures, adding that the implementation of rail projects generate jobs and spur economic activity inside and around the project sites.
“Long before passengers actually experience comfortable and efficient train rides, residents of communities along these railway lines are the first beneficiaries of these infrastructure projects,” Bautista said.
Bautista also cited the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) for the globally competitive human resources needed in implementing the country’s new railways systems.
To ensure the availability of proficient rail operators and maintenance personnel, Sec. Bautista said the PRI has produced 3,300 trained personnel out of the 3,700 rail workers.
The DOTr will come out with an occupational safety and health policy for the railway sector that will mandate the protection and benefits of rail workers and ensure the safety and security of passengers.
“Prudence has prompted the PRI to ensure the availability of proficient rail operators and maintenance personnel years before the big-ticket rail systems go online,” Bautista said.
