LRTA and TUP Creates Institute of Railway Technology
Ref.: Nixon Bermudez
Tel. No.: +63 (2) 854-0452
July 13, 2006
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) agreed in principle to jointly create the said Institute of Railway Technology at the TUP campus in Manila.
It will address the skilled manpower needs of the railway industry. In time, the program will grow to include regular diploma courses that are railway specific.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed during the 26th anniversary of LRTA on July 14, 2006 by Dr. Godofredo E. Gallega, TUP President and Administrator Melquiades A. Robles, of the LRTA.
In a meeting held last week, Dr. Gallega was accompanied by Professor Enrico R. Hilario, the recently appointed Dean of the College of Industrial Technology. Deputy Administrator Chavez was accompanied by Ms. Annabelle C. Ganancial, head of Operations and Engineering Department, Ms. Eleanor T. Domingo, head of Planning and MIS, Mr. Felix Leyson, OIC for Line 1 Operations, and Mr. Porfirio Nabos, PCI Consultant, who incidentally, is a graduate of the TUP Taguig Campus.
Part PGMA’s 10 point legacy agenda is the decongestion of Metro Manila which she calls the Strong Republic Transit System, aimed at providing a reliable, seamless and integrated mass transit system. LRTA stands at the forefront of the country’s mass rail transit system and its present engineers and managers are best qualified to fill the need for professors and instructors for teaching future train and track engineers.
It has a pool of personnel with various engineering and technical know how together with their practical application. It also has 26 years of experience in operating and managing the first light rail transit system in Southeast Asia. Foreign consultants working with the LRTA will also be invited as visiting professors from time to time.
The TUP on the other hand, also has the requisite experience and capability as one of the country’s best technical university. TUP offers higher and advanced programs in the field of science and engineering, industrial technology, industrial teacher education, architecture and fine arts, and related educational programs that meet the demands of a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy.
As their contribution towards this project, the LRTA has been continuously upgrading its system and operation, including its expansion efforts to further cater to the needs of the millions of residents in Metro Manila. ”All of the present and future developments being undertaken by LRTA would also depend much on the availability of skilled professionals trained specifically for the railway industry, which, is sadly lacking. We are facing right now, a critical shortage of manpower with railway-specific education and training. With the emergence of new mass rail transit lines in the country’s metropolis and within the Asian region, this could become a crisis unless we have a solution to this. We are positive that the creation of Institute of Railway Technology will be one of the best solutions”, Administrator Robles said.
At present, LRTA trains its technicians from different backgrounds who would enter the industry on graduation and receive railway specific training by following a personal induction program involving placements in all relevant areas of the organization, like depots and other operation areas. This would often be combined with short training courses provided by the LRTA. The cost of training is being borne by the LRTA despite the fact that it is also facing budgetary constraints. Consequently, the LRTA is losing momentum and is sidetracked from its technological development efforts since a huge chunk of its time and budget would be consumed in efforts to provide railway specific trainings to its personnel. The creation of the institute of railway is a welcome development since it will finally address the skilled manpower needs of the railway industry.
TUP President Dr. Godofredo E. Gallega in a
ceremonial handshake with LRTA Deputy Administrator Cesar B. Chavez, during
the latter’s visit to the LRTA. In the foreground is a scale model of
the third generation train soon to arrive as part of the ongoing Capacity
Expansion Program of the LRTA.
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