By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) needs about 20,000 railway personnel to staff the country’s existing and upcoming rail projects, and is turning to its training arm to close the gap.
The ramp-up follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive for the DOTr to ensure rail employees have sufficient capability across the country’s rail systems.
In a statement on Monday, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) has trained nearly 5,000 railway workers since it was established in 2019, including personnel from LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 and MRT-7, Philippine National Railways and from service providers.
Lopez said the competencies taught at the PRI allow rail staff to run major lines safely and efficiently.
“Malaking tulong kapag nag-training ang empleyado ng tren sa PRI dahil mas nagiging propesyonal at episyente sila sa safety, operations at maintenance ng ating rail lines (Training at the PRI is a big help because train employees become more professional and efficient in the safety, operations and maintenance of our rail lines),” he said.
DOTr Undersecretary and PRI Acting Executive Director Anneli Lontoc said that before the PRI was established, each rail operator ran its own training program and the country relied on foreign experts.
“Wala noon na sinusundan na guidelines, kailan at dapat na mga training na teknikal (There were no guidelines to follow on when and what technical training was needed),” Lontoc said.
She said the PRI was created to fix that gap, and now sets a common standard for training, certification and skills development across rail lines.
The training covers railway safety, tracks, buildings, stations, power supply, signaling, rolling stock, passenger management, ticketing systems and train driving.
PRI Training Division head Dr. Israel Radiaganding said practical instruction is conducted at the PRI building inside the Metro Manila Subway Depot in Valenzuela City, which houses full-size and desk-size train simulators, a mock-up station concourse and platform, mock-up bridges and tunnel, signaling dioramas and rolling stock.
Radiaganding said jobs await graduates in existing lines and upcoming projects. (PNA)
TRACK INSPECTION. Learners conduct systematic visual inspections along the track’s main line to identify wear and tear or potential defects that may affect safe and reliable train operations, in this file photo taken on March 30, 2026 at the MRT-3 mainline. The Philippine Railways Institute, the Department of Transportation’s rail training arm, has trained nearly 5,000 railway workers since 2019 to help fill the manpower needs of the country’s expanding rail network. (Photo courtesy of PRI)
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