Albay Rep. Gonzalez wants efficient rehabilitation system for Manila-Bicol railways

During the meeting of Committee on Transportation with officials from the Philippine National Railways (PNR) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) officials on 25 February 2015, Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando V. Gonzalez urged the PNR to rehabilitate the Manila-Bicol railways with an efficient system to help Bicolanos transport goods.

Albay 3rd District Rep. Fernando V. Gonzalez (right) during the meeting of Committee on Transportation on 25 February 2015 at the House of Representatives

The operation of Manila-Bicol railways has been suspended several times due to damages caused by calamities, neglect of maintenance, and persistent problem with informal settlers. Despite several rehabilitation projects made in the previous years, the railways failed to withstand damages. 

With the approved subsidy of P564.68 million by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), PNR will be rehabilitating tracks, bridges, and stations again this year. 

In which case, Rep. Gonzalez advised the PNR to make an efficient system of constructing and rehabilitating railways. “If you will put railroads, make sure you can sustain it…We would like to have an efficient system, for us Bicolanos,” said Rep. Gonzalez. 

Likewise, in order to ensure that utilization of railroads are cost-effective, affordable, and within the reach of ordinary citizens, certain subsidies are needed. The subsidy must be shouldered by the national government and not by PNR. In order for PNR to use its revenues for operations, salaries, and maintenance, and continue to upgrade and modernize, the same formula is done to operate MRT/LRT in Metro Manila. It is the national government that must pay for the subsidy to help lower the cost for ordinary citizens. 

Railways are the most cost-efficient channels for Bicolanos to transport goods. Alternatively, Bicolanos also transport goods via the Pan-Philippine Highway, commonly known as Maharlika Highway. But due to the high cost of transportation, products are sold at higher prices. “The Bicolanos can produce Papaya that is as cheaply as Batangas, Northern Luzon, and Quezon can produce,” said Rep. Gonzalez. However, Bicolanos need to raise the price to compensate for the high cost of transportation, he added.

PNR must rebuild the railway system to make it resilient. This way the system can be sustained even if subjected to extreme weather conditions. Rep. Gonzalez emphasized that PNR has to address the need for building better railways that can sustain damages. It would be a waste of financial resources to spend millions of pesos in building infrastructures that will eventually collapse every time a typhoon hits the area. He further suggested that PNR should allocate a necessary amount of money for the construction of high-quality railways instead of making installment budget allocations that can only provide for substandard railways. 

“Perhaps it is imperative, and very very important, that if you will be asked to make a railway, do it the right way, do it well, of [with] the necessary money and necessary investment. Huwag yung patingi-tingi na naman [Don’t make installment budget allocation again],“ Rep. Gonzalez explained. 

As Bicolanos rely on railway transportation, the inefficient operation of the railways contributed to poor investments in Bicol. In which case, Rep. Gonzalez called the attention of PNR officials to provide Bicolanos the services that they deserve.