BAUKO, Mountain Province – The Department of Transpiration (DOTr) fully supports the sustained implementation of the Mount Data ‘sipat’ that paved the way for more than three decades of economic and infrastructure development in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
In his message, lawyer Joshua Pablito, who represented Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, current Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CODS) for the Cordillera, said that the present era of trust and respect enabled Cordillerans to pursue transport projects that significantly improved overall mobility and connectivity through efficient inter-city, inter-provincial and inter-road transport.
He claimed that one of the ongoing projects of the agency is the public transportation modernization program with the able assistance of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board that aims to transform how people commute and travel, especially in the Cordillera.
The DOTr-CAR regional director pointed out that historically, the jeepneys and buses that serve as the backbone of public transport 38 years ago are being improved by environmentally-friendly public utility jeepneys operated by organized cooperatives and transport groups in the interest of preserving the region’s environment and heritage and the comfort of the commuting public.
Further, he claimed that the agency also promotes the use of bike lanes by installing safety structures along major roads to encourage non-motorized modes of transport.
According to him, in November 2022, Secretary Bautista joined the launch of a collaboration to formulate a low carbon urban transport system for the region where the agency tapped three universities in Baguio City to conduct research on how does low carbon transport system, such as electric vehicles, which the agency is currently studying, is the most suited for public transport in a mountainous region like the Cordillera and coordinated the donation of electric vehicles in co-partnership with the United Nations Development Assistance Program (UNDAP).
Pablito underscored that the undulating and the terrain of the Cordillera should serve as the most fitting testing ground of the road worthiness of electric vehicles.
“Kung kaya ng electric vehicles ang Cordillera, they can ply the whole Philippines,” Pablito stressed.
He emphasized that it will be a testament of how hard to how durable the said vehicles will be in the near future.
On the other hand, Pablito disclosed that the agency is looking for ways to improve the country’s airports, specifically the Baguio Loakan Airport, whose geographic limitation prevents runway extension.
“We are studying possibly upgrading landslide facilities, apart from looking into new sites for airports here in the Cordilleras in partnership with the Regional Development Council. There will come a time when we travel to our homes in the Cordilleras using airplanes,” Pablito said.
He asserted that the success of the agency’s transport projects hinges on the unbroken culture of peace that Cordillerans hope and pay can be sustained for decades to come as without the Mount Data ‘sipat’ accord, the same would not be possible.
More importantly, he reiterated that the agency’s efforts can definitely bring the government closer to the residents of the region through accessibility of basic services, which is one of the objectives of this year’s observance of National Peace Consciousness month. By Dexter A. See