Philippine Transportation System 2.pdf

PHILIPPINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ENGR. CARMELA R. MIRANDILLA  Transport is a key sector in the Philippine economy, linking population and economic centers across the islands. The transport system of the Philippines consists of road, water, air,...

PHILIPPINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ENGR. CARMELA R. MIRANDILLA  Transport is a key sector in the Philippine economy, linking population and economic centers across the islands. The transport system of the Philippines consists of road, water, air, and rail transport. Water transport plays an important role due to the archipelagic nature of the country, but road transport is by far the dominant subsector accounting for 98% of passenger traffic and 58% of cargo traffic. ROADS  As of 2011, the country’s road system comprised about 215,000 km, of which about 15% were classified as national roads, thereby falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The remaining 85% of the network is defined as local roads and falls under the jurisdiction of a variety of local government units. As of November 2011, 79% of national roads and only 18% of local roads were paved with either asphalt or concrete. The percentage of national roads that are paved has risen only slowly from 71% in 2001 and remains well below the government’s original target of 95% by 2010  The extent of the road network in the Philippines, when measured in terms of road km per square km, road km per capita, and road km per dollar of GDP per capita, is comparable with or better than many neighboring developing member countries. However, when the quality of the road system is considered—both in terms of the percentage of paved roads and the percentage of roads in good or fair condition —the Philippines lags well behind nearly all of its regional neighbors and competitors.  The government has developed a network of tolled expressways in central Luzon to address transport constraints on economic development by (i) linking the major economic and transport centers in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces, from Tarlac in the north to Batangas in the south; and (ii) facilitating multimodal transport. The expressway network, developed through public–private partnerships (PPPs) and with bilateral development assistance, links industrial parks and special economic zones, the ports at Subic and Batangas, and Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga. While the development of this network has reduced travel times significantly, additional efforts to increase port capacity and improve management are necessary to realize fully the benefits of an integrated multimodal transport system  WATER TRANSPORT  Interisland water transport is a very important subsector of the national transport system. There are about 1,300 ports, of which about 1,000 are government-owned and the rest are privately owned and managed. Of the government- owned ports, about 140 fall under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Cebu Ports Authority; the remainder are the responsibility of other government agencies or local government units. International cargo and container traffic has grown steadily in recent years, supported by significant investments in the port of Batangas by the PPA and in the port of Subic by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Interisland shipping continues to suffer from a poor reputation for safety, with an average of 160 maritime accidents annually. The causes of maritime accidents include human error; natural causes, such as typhoons, bad weather, and rough seas; lack of vessel traffic management; lack of navigational aids; and poor ship maintenance. Natural causes were the main causes of maritime accidents, comprising 36% of the total incidents recorded. Accidents caused by human error were also a major contributor, comprising 24% of all recorded accidents  To address this deficiency, the Maritime Industry Authority is embarking on a number of safety programs during 2012–2013, including (i) a vessel retirement and replacement program; (ii) nationwide mobile registration, licensing, and franchising of motor bancas (wooden double outriggers); (iii) nationwide revalidation of ships’ documentation; (iv) pilot implementation of an audit-based ship inspection system; (v) enhancement of competence of technical personnel; (vi) implementation of the categorization of navigational areas; (vii) a review of safety policies; and (viii) nationwide revalidation of crew documents  In recent years, there has been significant development of roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferry services, which are aimed at providing an alternative to traditional long-distance interisland shipping services. The ro-ro system allows vehicles to drive onto and off ro-ro ferries without loading or offloading of cargo. Because this eliminates cargo-handling labor and equipment, and reduces the amount of time cargo is required to be in port, reductions in sea transport costs can be considerable.  AIR TRANSPORT  There are 215 airports in the Philippines, of which 84 are government-owned and controlled and the rest are privately owned and operated. Of the government-controlled airports, 10 are designated as international airports, 15 are Principal Class 1 airports, 19 are Principal Class 2 airports, and 40 are community airports. The busiest airport in the Philippines is Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, which handled 435,486 aircraft movements and an estimated 29.6 million passengers in 2011. Mactan International Airport in Cebu is the second-busiest airport in the country with 82,554 aircraft movements and 6.3 million passengers in 2011. RAILWAYS  The railway system consists of light rail transit (LRT) lines in Metro Manila and heavy rail lines in Luzon. The three LRT lines commenced operations in 1984, 1999, and 2003. Two lines are owned and operated by a government-owned corporation, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), while the third was financed and constructed by a private corporation, the Metro Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), and is operated by the government under a build–lease–transfer agreement. The lines operated by the LRTA carry about 579,000 passengers each day, while the MRTC line carries more than 400,000 passengers daily.  A limited number of heavy rail commuter services are operated by the Philippine National Railways (PNR), serving areas to the south of Metro Manila. The PNR carried 9.1 million passengers in 2010 and 15.4 million in 2011. The increase in ridership is attributed to the completion of the rehabilitation of the Caloocan to Alabang section of the commuter line and the introduction of new rolling stock, both financed by bilateral development assistance. Philippine Transportation Sector Performance, Problems, and Opportunities  Key sector challenges. The Philippines’ archipelagic setting and the increasing urbanization of its population make accessibility between, and mobility within, the islands the primary goals of the transport system. Efficient transport is critical for strengthening the country’s investment climate and enhancing economic growth. The islands need to be linked by a seamless transport network to enable the cost-efficient movement of goods and services within the country and to facilitate inclusive economic growth.  The main challenges faced by the transport sector, many of which are interrelated, include (i) the poor quality of the road network, (ii) poor intermodal integration, (iii) weak sector governance and institutional capacity, (iv) lack of quality urban transport systems, and (v) limited private investment in transport infrastructure. While poor connectivity arising from deficiencies in water and air transport systems has historically constrained transport and economic development in the Philippines, substantial progress is now being made in these areas through market liberalization, development of the Strong Republic Nautical Highways Program, and the establishment of open skies agreements for the development of secondary airports.