Newly appointed Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon on Friday underscored the Philippine government’s commitment to improving mass transit systems to tackle the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.
Dizon highlighted high-capacity projects like the Metro Manila Subway and North-South Commuter Railway as key solutions.
“The ultimate solution to traffic is really mass transit… high-capacity mass transit,” Dizon said during a Malacañang press briefing. He pointed out that having such transport system could alleviate the need for private cars. “Kasi ang kotse, dalawa lang o apat ang kasya; high capacity, daan-daan ang kasya doon,” he added.
Dizon noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had emphasized the urgency of expediting these infrastructure projects. “I spoke at length with the President about this, and the first thing he said, all these projects have to be fast-tracked. Ang sinabi niya, unang-una, the ongoing (construction of) Metro Manila Subway, kailangan bilisan. That is a game changer for all of us… Pangalawa, iyong North-South Commuter Railway.”
He expressed a desire for a world-class subway system, similar to those in Tokyo or Singapore, to be available within his lifetime. “Ako talaga, wish ko lang na tayong lahat dito sa kwartong to at mga kababayan natin, in our lifetime, ma-experience natin may subway tayo sa Pilipinas na maayos, world class,” Dizon said.
Despite being one of the first countries in Asia to launch a light rail system, the Philippines has fallen behind in infrastructure development. Dizon lamented the current pace, saying, “It is very depressing na tayong unang-unang nagkaroon ng rail (transport) sa Asia tapos ngayon, nagkukumahog tayo rito.”
The DOTr chief emphasized the need for speed, particularly with the subway project, stating that a 15-year timeline for completion would be too long.
Alongside the focus on mass transit, Dizon also reaffirmed the continuation of the public transport modernization program, which was previously known as the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.
The program, introduced in 2017, mandates the replacement of older vehicles with modern ones that meet Euro 4 diesel standards. It also requires consolidation of drivers and operators into cooperatives, granting them fresh franchises.
“Kailangan maintindihan ng mga kasamahan natin sa transport sector na medyo may alinlangan rito sa PUV modernization na hindi pwede na iwanan na lang natin sa kinagisnan natin, iyong ating mga jeepneys… Kailangan mag-improve iyan,” Dizon said.
The PUV modernization program has faced setbacks due to high costs of modern jeepneys, which can range from P1.7 million to P3.3 million per unit, and the lack of route plans from the local governments.
The DOTr chief acknowledged these challenges but emphasized that modernization is essential.
“Walang puedeng mag-argue sa modernization. No brainer iyan… Pero sa nababasa ko sa mga reports ninyo in the past, ang kailangan talagang kausapin natin dito ay iyong mga transport workers: mga operators at mga drivers. Kasi at the end of the day, kung ano ang dagdag na gastos. Sila ang kailangan, sila ang sasalo nun,” Dizon said.
“Naniniwala po ako na ang ating mga jeepney drivers at operators, hindi nila hahadlangan ang pag-unlad, ang modernisasyon; pero meron rin silang mga hinihiling, concerns, kailangan pakinggan ng gobyerno,” he added.
Nonetheless, the DOTr chief stressed the urgency of moving forward with modernization, emphasizing that stalling progress is not an option.
