North-South Commuter Railway Project (Courtesy of Art Tugade Facebook)
MANILA – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday committed to boost the development of the railway sector through partnerships with countries that have “established and renowned” railway systems.
In his message for the third anniversary of the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI), DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said they will focus on training and human resource development and will make use of international partnerships to invigorate the sector.
“In collaboration with our partners, we must remain committed to developing our railway sector and provide convenient, safe, and reliable travel service in keeping with the expectations of our riding public,” Bautista said.
He cited the Japanese government’s role in the PRI Technical Assistance program that allows for the “effective transfer” of Japanese technical expertise to the country’s railway personnel through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
He said the country’s state-of-the-art trains and desktop simulators came from Japan and include trainings for operators.
“The train simulators offer new technology to teach, instruct and train future train operators in the country and complement the DOTr railway projects,” he said.
To date, the PRI has produced 2,464 trained personnel since its establishment in 2019, with 904 trainees completing courses in 2022.
The PRI is an attached agency of the DOTr and is the country’s sole research and training center focused on the human resource development of the railway sector. (PNA)
