President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed an executive order that will create a research institute under the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to upgrade training in the railway sector to support key rail projects in the pipeline.
The Palace on Thursday released Executive Order (EO) No. 96 which will establish the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) under the DoTr. PRI will be the “implementing and regulatory agency for human resources development in the railways sector.”
In the EO signed Nov. 21, Mr. Duterte said that there is a need to prioritize human resources development in the railways sector in line with the Ambisyon Nation 2040, the government’s long-term economic plan.
“(T)here is an urgent need to develop the human resource capacities of railways personnel to ensure their availability and competence, guarantee their compliance with generally accepted standards of practice, as well as the rules and regulations pertaining to safety, operation and maintenance of railways,” according to EO 96.
Based on the 2020 National Expenditure Program (NEP) of the DoTr, 99% of its budget for its projects will focus on improving railway development.
The PRI will be under DoTr’s administrative supervision and will have the authority to create and recommend programs, guidelines, and plans among others that will boost the development of personnel in the railways industries.
The PRI will also need to coordinate with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS) and other entities to collaborate on human resources development and research. — Gillian M. Cortez
Source: https://www.bworldonline.com/palace-issues-eo-creating-railway-training-institute/