PRI Continues Training Online Amid COVID-19

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) continues with its training support to the country’s railway industry by offering its Refresher Training (RT) course in an online platform.

Since its launch in July 2020, the Web Refresher Training (WRT) Course has accommodated railway operators in lieu of the usual face-to-face RT Course.

The conduct of a face-to-face RT Course was restricted following the enforcement of the community quarantine in March 2020, coupled with strict physical distancing policies set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Although in an online environment, the PRI, using the same training design and materials, still aims to build the capacity of Philippine railway personnel, with further emphasis on railway safety and passenger satisfaction, especially with the present heightened rules forced by COVID-19 on the transportation sector.

Since its pilot run in October 2019, five (5) batches with 116 certified personnel have completed the scheduled RT Course.

The PRI is a research and training center for the railway sector under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

It serves as the planning, implementing, regulating, and administrative entity for the development of human resources in the railway sector to ensure the delivery of efficient, reliable, and safe railway transportation services.

The PRI also ensures that personnel working in each railway line have the right knowledge, skills, and attitude for operations and maintenance through the issuance of certificates of competencies.

The establishment of the PRI is supported by a ¥670-million grant from the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, in addition to a ¥1.2-billion grant for train simulators.

The PRI and its complete range of best-in-class training equipment will soon be housed in a seven (7)-hectare training center at the Valenzuela Depot of the Metro Manila Subway.

With the training center’s completion, the PRI shall offer Fundamental Training (FT) Courses to personnel of new and expanded railway lines to establish an industry-level understanding of railway operations and maintenance.

Railways, PUVs ready for commuters as Metro Manila shifts to GCQ

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The railways sector and operators of various public utility vehicles to include UV express units, taxis, buses and modern as well as traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) have expressed readiness to serve commuters once Metro Manila shifts to general community quarantine (GCQ).

With Metro Manila shifting to a GCQ status, the MRT-3 line is ready to dispatch 16 Czech-built CKD train sets and 2 China-built Dalian train sets on a daily basis.

The LRT-1 line, meanwhile, is prepared to dispatch on weekdays 24 train sets for the morning peak hours, 18 train sets for the off-peak hours, and 24 train sets during the afternoon peak hours.

The LRT Line 2 will be deploying 5 trains sets daily.

For its part, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is ready to deploy 10 train sets on a daily basis.

To complement the train services which will be on limited capacity to conform to the physical distancing measure, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has authorized the operation of additional traditional PUJs and UV Express (UVE) vehicle units.

For traditional PUJs, the LTFRB has allowed the operation of additional 4,498 units in 60 routes. This is on top of the 7,945 authorized units in 66 routes as of July 29, and thus brings the total number of authorized traditional PUJs to 12,443 in 126 routes.

An additional 4 routes with 641 units have been authorized for UV Express, which totals to 1,621 the number of authorized UVEs in 51 routes to hit the Metro streets once GCQ is enforced.

There will also be 3,662 public utility buses (PUBs) that will help ferry commuters in 31 routes across Metro Manila.

In addition, 716 modern public utility jeepneys (PUJs) will be operating in 45 routes; 364 units for Point-to-Point (P2P) buses in 33 routes; 20,493 taxis will be available to transport passengers; and 23,776 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) units will ply the Metro.

With the reopening of public transportation services during the GCQ, the DOTr reminds passengers that strict health and safety protocols will be enforced to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Commuters are reminded that the “No face mask and no face shield, no ride” policy will be strictly enforced in all sectors of public transportation —Road, Railways, Maritime and Aviation—as mandated by DOTr and which has been effective since 15 August in areas where public transport is allowed.

Strict physical distancing will also be implemented onboard public utility vehicles, terminals, in rail line facilities and aboard trains to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Passengers must follow the marking in PUV terminals, stations and onboard PUVs and trains. Train marshals and law enforcers will guide and ensure that the protocols are being observed.

Commuters are also encouraged to practice regular sanitation and disinfection procedures, using footbaths, available wash stations and hand sanitation supplies. Further, passengers will also have to accomplish contact tracing and health declaration forms before entering the rail stations and terminals.

All passengers will have to undergo body temperature check before entering the terminal and stations, as well as boarding vehicles and trains. For the MRT-3, LRT Line 2 and PNR, passengers with a body temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius and above will not be allowed to enter the rail station, while for LRT1, the threshold is 37.6 degrees Celsius.

At the PNR, the strict health checks will be enforced in its stations and trains. Once inside the station, passengers will proceed to a sanitation station and their body temperature will be checked using a CCTV-based mass thermal scanner.

All passengers are enjoined to refrain from talking and using cell phones and other communications device while inside the train to avoid the spread of respiratory droplets which may carry the virus.

To help protect the health of the riding public, strict health and safety measures are being implemented by transport authorities such as the wearing of full personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline employees; disinfection of trains at every half-loop, and of vehicle units after every trip or every 2 hours; disinfection of frequently touched surfaces in stations and terminals, and onboard trains and PUV units; and encouraging the use of contactless/online payment systems.

At the rail lines, employees will also have to undergo COVID-19 testing before returning to work. The management will also be conducting daily symptom check, and will immediately place in quarantine employees who will show any COVID-19 symptom.

WWF-PH and GCash team up for a special environmental episode of #GCashTalksLive

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In an effort to further promote World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and leading mobile wallet app GCash’s collaborative effort for the reforestation of the Ipo Watershed, Miss Earth 2017 and WWF-PH Advocate Karen Ibasco and WWF-Philippines Forests for Water Project Manager Paolo Pagaduan headlined the latest #GCashTalksLive webisode last July 24, 2020.

Hosted by Dana Sianghio and Ted Lee of GCash, the show encouraged viewers to utilize the mobile app’s 'green' feature called GCash Forest, which lets subscribers plant virtual trees that will have real-life counterparts.

Aside from discussing information about the tree species available for planting in the app, Pagaduan also explained how WWF-PH and GCash administer assisted natural regeneration and enrichment planting to restore the forest surrounding Ipo Watershed.

“When we say we plant trees, we actually don’t just plant trees. Tree planting is just 10% (of the work); 90% of it is actually nurturing or growing or making sure the trees grow taller and provide the benefits for us. Some call it tree nurturing, tree growing, or tree mothering—but the point is it’s not a one-day event that you go to a site, take pictures, and that’s it. It takes more effort to make sure that trees grow. It takes a lot of reinforcement, maintenance, and monitoring”, says Pagaduan.

Meanwhile, Ibasco shared her environmental conservation journey and how she utilized her platform as a beauty queen to campaign for environmental preservation by working alongside the government, the United Nations, and WWF-PH. She also encouraged viewers to use GCash as a way to reduce their carbon footprint and help Mother Nature.

“I have been part of the Panda Family for quite some time now, and one of the many things that we, in the organization, have always wanted to do is to raise awareness on issues around water and forests and how we can contribute towards long-term water security. That being said, I encourage everyone to help us #ChangeTheEnding by downloading GCash, reducing your carbon footprint by utilizing the various digital services made available through the app instead of heading out, and planting trees using GCash Forest! Even amidst these uncertain times, one thing is certain: that Mother Nature still needs help, and GCash Forest is one of the most convenient ways to plant a tree!”, Ibasco quipped.

The team wrapped up the session with an open forum where they answered viewers’ questions on the app’s GCash Forest feature and gave tips on how they can generate more green energy to plant their virtual trees. Sianghio also teased that Green Heroes and new users alike are in for a treat in the coming months, with new species to be added to the tree planting roster and the crowd-favorite Dungon Tree making a comeback in the app.

WWF-Philippines is set to launch more online campaigns and programs with our corporate partners in the months to come. Stay tuned to WWF-Philippines’ official social media pages for announcements and to find out how you can help #ChangeTheEnding for the environment.