On the recent public transport fare increase
The government recently approved public transport fare increase. While it’s supposed to help alleviate the financial situation of public transport operators and drivers, the chain reaction involving the riding public is inevitable. Transportation already eats up a significant % of a typical family’s income. This will add to their budget allocation for commuting.
Here’s the graphic from Inquirer:
Shifting to electric and hybrid vehicles is obviously not the best solution for our transport woes. Active transport also has limited impacts considering many people are live far from workplaces and schools. Many also are invested in private vehicles. And the latter should not be limited to cars but motorcycles as well. I think private transport shares for trips, particularly the share of motorcycles, is largely underestimated. We need to verify this as the assumption that about 90% are taking public transport as the main modes for their trips may be one reason we can’t find the right combination of solutions for transport and traffic issues.
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More flash floods due to intense downpours
Yesterday’s commute to our home was much longer than usual. It took us around 2 hours to get home even after leaving our office around 6PM. We experienced the wake or aftermath of congestion caused mainly by the flash floods and electrical damage to the LRT Line 2. The flash floods were caused by the intense rains after noon time. Floods were reported around Metro Manila but the one that ultimately affected us were the flood along Ortigas Avenue Extension near the Valley Golf gate. A long stretch was impassable to most vehicles. Our daughter got home 2.5 hours after her school dismissal when it usually only took around 1 hour on typical mid afternoon traffic along that corridor. The route we took home via Marcos Highway was affected by so many passengers getting stranded by the Line 2’s suspension of services between Santolan and Antipolo Stations. People occupied the traffic lanes of Marcos Highway as they positioned themselves to get to the next available jeepney or bus. Many chose to walk towards Ligaya and even Sta. Lucia Mall where many jeepneys bound for Rizal towns turnaround.
Line 2 suspended operations between Santolan and Antipolo Stations due to electrical damage sustained after a lightning strike damaged the catenary that transmitted power to the trains.
Passengers occupied the traffic lanes of Marcos Highway; many already tired from a day’s work or school. LRTA did not seem to have a plan or protocol to address such situations. Perhaps a call to bus companies or even the MMDA and LGUs like Antipolo, Cainta, Marikina and Pasig could have alleviated the situation of commuters? Antipolo did send vehicles to ferry passengers but they were not enough for the demand. These are exactly the situations that make public transportation unattractive to many people.
I hope we’ve (read: authorities including national and local governments) learned from this year’s weather-related problems and will address these so we can have less disruptions and losses in the coming years. It is predicted that we will have an intense El Niño so that means a long dry spell and also hotter days ahead. Perhaps nature’s message this year is that there’s enough water (from rain) and she is challenging us to come up with a system and facilities that will retain such amounts of water for the dry seasons?
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Musings on a Sunday morning – on mode shift after railway projects are completed
A news article came out yesterday about the acting Secretary of Transportation stating that the number of vehicles on the roads will fall by 1 million once all railway projects are completed. I countered on my social media that he might just eat his words. Friends were more humorous in their comments including one saying that might just happen in the year 2100 (when we’ve all passed). Then, there are comments about this happening without railways, thanks to the escalation in fuel prices.
I wrote about my take on future rail use in the following article here back in 2019. There are others I’ve written earlier that were based on observations and research we have conducted the last 3 decades on transportation mode shares and the impacts of new railway lines.
While I would love to see people shifting from private vehicle use to public transportation (especially to rail), I am more grounded with my expectations. The Metro Manila Subway line will certainly be a game changer, and probably partly because it is not along any of the current corridors. It is unlike Lines 1, 2, 3 and the future 7 that are along corridors where they are or will be directly competing with existing road public transport modes. In the latter cases, people already taking public transport (road-based) would likely be the same people shifting to rail. As for the private transport users, they might just stick to their cars – unless, of course, they couldn’t afford the fuels or to acquire an electric or hybrid vehicle.
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On transport strikes – are they still relevant or effective?
One of my students casually asked me about the effectiveness of transport strikes. I replied that while the strikes may and can raise awareness of the issues being protested, their effectiveness may have been diminished as people have become insensitive not just to them but to many of the issues we face these days. The latter includes the political mess we have that affects everyone regardless of who you side with.
Here is the series I wrote back in March 2023 – “A Brief History of Transport Strikes”:
Part 1: https://d0ctrine.com/2023/03/04/a-brief-history-of-transport-strikes-part-1/
Part 2: https://d0ctrine.com/2023/03/06/a-brief-history-of-transport-strikes-part-2-reasons-for-a-strike/
Part 3: https://d0ctrine.com/2023/03/08/a-brief-history-of-transport-strikes-part-3-advocacy-and-bandwagon/
And then this short piece in October of the same year:
What do you think?
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Traffic congestion due to flood control project – another interceptor for Cainta and Marikina
This week, another flood control project commenced that is expected to bring more congestion along Marcos Highway. The construction involves constriction along the corridor. That is, the capacity of Marcos Highway will be reduced due to the space required by the project. This meant the closure of U-turn slots and the reopening of the Marcos Highway-Felix Avenue-Gil Fernando Avenue intersection. There is significant traffic from Felix that turns left to Marcos Highway towards Quezon City. Instead of continuous, uninterrupted flow towards the former U-turn slot across Burger King, vehicles now need to queue for their turn to make a left turn. And this has led to long queues along Feliz Avenue that reaches Karangalan Village, even Vista Verde on a bad day.
Two lanes have been closed to give way to excavations and the installation of large pipes that will connect with the existing drainage in the area. This interceptor will eventually drain to the Marikina River and is expected to reduce flooding particularly in Cainta and Antipolo where residential subdivisions have endured floods during the wet season for many years.
The project will run for a year. That, of course, assumes that there will be no delays for whatever reasons might come up. The LGUs concerned including Antipolo, Cainta, Marikina and Pasig are cooperating with the MMDA to address traffic management issues.
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Diskarte sa tag ulan – child rider safety
Sharing this photo of a child taking cover from the rain using her adult companion’s jacket. it is obviously not a safe situation or set up but perhaps it suffices for the moment.
Kids should have the necessary gear like a child- sized helmet for safe riding and a jacket or coat to protect the kid from the rains. The provision of these is the responsibility of adults particularly the parents or guardians of the child.
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Philippine Transportation Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1
The latest issue of the Philippine Transportation Journal is out. Volume 8, Number 1 includes five (5) papers derived from the Transportation Science Society’s 2025 conference held in December 2025. PTJ didn’t have a 2025 issue as last year was an EASTS Conference year and TSSP held its 31st Annual Conference in December instead of the usual September or October. Most if not all papers published in PTJ are from the best of the conference including the best paper and best presentation. Authors are given the chance to further refine their papers based on the feedback or comments in the conference sessions, which may be different from the comments received during the review process.
I reproduce below the list of papers in the latest PTJ issue. Three papers are associated with UP Diliman: #2 with the National College of Public Administration and Governance, #3 with the Asian Institute of Tourism, and #4 with the College of Engineering. One paper, #1 is from the University of Asia and the Pacific. The last but not the least, #5, is from UP Los Banos.
1. Empowering Local Government Units in Public Transport Service
Provision through Franchise Policy Reform – SUNIO, V., MANUEL, G., PACHECO, J.A.
2. Optimizing Route-based Fleet Size Computation through Network-Based Modeling for Puerto Princesa City, Philippines – Fajardo, A.C., SANCIANGCO, E., OLLERO, L.J., ALTEA, J.R., CASTILLO, C.A., TIGLAO, N.C., CUNANAN, P., SIPASIP, H.D., TOLENTINO, N.J.
3. Understanding Inland Water Transportation and Its Potential for Tourism: The Case of Navotas – Malabon River Boats in Metro Manila, Philippines – MASONG, G.R., AMIDAO, P.J.M., GUILLEN, M.D.V.
4. Measuring the Traffic Impacts of Tactical Urbanism: A Corridor and Intersection Analysis in Quezon City– MICIANO, M.L., HALIL, J., RAMILLANO, J., SIGUA, R.
5. Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Environmental Awareness on Transportation Mode Choice Between Students of UP Diliman and Ateneo de Manila University – SERIOSA, V.J., REYNOSO, C., LIM, M.B., SUNDO, M.
Here is the link to the PTJ Vol. 8, No. 1: https://ncts.upd.edu.ph/tssp/archives/3319
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TSSP’s 32nd Annual Conference – 08 October 2026
The Transportation Science Society of the Philippines (TSSP) will hold its 32nd Annual Conference on 08 October 2026 in Tuguegarao City, Province of Cagayan. This year’s conference is hosted by Cagayan State University. The TSSP is the Philippine affiliate of the Eastern Asia Society on Transportation Studies (EASTS).
Details on the conference including accommodations and travel information may be found in the TSSP official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/167Y7fRWGAH/
Updates will also be posted there.
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On preaching on public transport
I’m sharing this interesting article about a preacher who was asked to stop by commuters in a train in Sydney, Australia:
Why an Entire Sydney Train Turned Against an American Preacher
I suddenly remember similar instances when I was in high school and then as a university student. Some of the buses I rode on my commutes were boarded by preachers. I recall that people just didn’t mind them especially when they finished preaching and started asking for donations. I don’t remember anyone shouting or calling out the preacher to stop. Everyone was just silent and not minding the talk though I’m sure there were those who felt uncomfortable with the situation. Perhaps it’s just Filipinos being kind despite what may be regarded as an intrusion or disturbance. Fast forward to the present and there was a recent incident on a train where passengers made it clear they didn’t want to be evangelized in that way. That’s a complete reversal from my college days in the early 1990s. What do you think? Is a public transport vehicle such as a bus or train an appropriate venue for preaching? Or was/is there a violation of personal space here?
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Nice day for a walk!
The sun’s finally out after so many days of heavy rains (and floods). It’s nice to be walking again outdoors instead of indoors (building stairs and corridors, and malls).
It’s quite pleasant out with a cool breeze that encourages us to do outdoor activities. I did my walking this morning and will be walking again later today!
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