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May-time pilgrimage
Last April 30-May 1, there was another ‘Alay Lakad’ to the shrine in Antipolo. The pilgrimage walk started in Quiapo Church (Black Nazarene) and ended at the Antipolo church (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage). Dubbed the “Walk for Peace,” there usually was a lot of people considering the number of devotees as well as May 1 being perhaps a holiday. Antipolo and Taytay LGUs at least put up stations for assistance to pilgrims.
We started hearing Mass again at the shrine last Sunday as our daughter prefers going there instead of at the chapel at our village. She’s gone to two Lenten Alay Lakads the past two years so maybe she felt this was a kind of pilgrimage for her, too.
For those walking from Metro Manila, there are two general routes to Antipolo. One is via Ortigas Avenue Extension and Tikling junction and the other is via Sumulong Highway and Masinag junction. You can take public transportation from Cubao or Crossing where there are jeepneys and buses. Many terminate at the Robinsons Antipolo mall terminal. But there are many other smaller terminals around the city including some near the Simbahan itself. There are also many tricycles that can take you to the shrine from various points in Antipolo including the Line 2 station at Masinag. Line 2, of course, is a convenient and fast way to get to Antipolo from Manila and Quezon City.
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Good Transit Is Simple: Lessons in Good Route Design
Here is a quick share of an article on transit route design:
Source: Good Transit Is Simple: Lessons in Good Route Design
I will not preempt the reader (you) on the content but there’s a lot of tips for stop spacing and route design based on the author’s experience in Chicago as transit planner.
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Good Transit is Fun
Here’s a nice read on how transit or public transportation should be fun. People won’t really use public transportation unless they find utility or value in using it.
Source: Good Transit is Fun
I won’t be quoting from the article this time. I’ll let you read it yourself and digest the content.
Happy Sunday!
PNR Naga – Lupi Timetable
We went to the PNR Naga Station last Friday morning and got an updated timetable for the PNR trains. We also were informed that the Naga-Legazpi train service is currently suspended due to damages along the line sustained during the recent typhoon. Hopefully, that section will be repaired immediately and the service resumed.
Naga to Lupi timetable showing the first train leaving Naga at 4:29 AM and the last at 3:14 PM. There are only 3 trips.
Lupi-Naga timetable showing the first train leaving Lupi at 6:23 AM and the last one at 5:08 PM. Again, there are only 3 trips from Lupi to Naga. The first train arrives in Naga at 8:02AM. This is actually attractive to commuters as the LGU reports the train to be full. Unfortunately, the return trip in the afternoon doesn’t have a favorable schedule for those heading home from work or school.
There is potential here for people to shift to rail for the major part of their commutes. Unfortunately, the frequencies of service is too low at present. People will shift to rail if the service is frequent and more reliable. Cost-wise, there is a significant difference between road-based and rail-based transport especially over long distances. Fares via express vans between Naga and Legazpi cost 300 to 400 pesos while private vehicle may cost between 3,000 to 5,000 pesos depending on the model and arrangements. Compare those with the 155 peso fare for the PNR train.
We are also hopeful that the rehabilitation and upgrading of train services will eventually be realized. The NSCR project is currently underway with the northern line connecting Metro Manila to Pampanga and the southern line currently until Laguna. The work needs to be accelerated and that entails much resources (i.e., funding) for railways to make comeback and perhaps experience another “Golden Age.”
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Is there a future for the Philippine made AGT?
I am writing this after reading posts on social media about how they are hopeful about the Philippine-made Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) being finally operational. For one, both AGT models (60 passenger capacity train and 120-passenger capacity train) have not been technically certified. And then there are really no plans for lines to be constructed anywhere.
The closest to plans that we have are the feasibility studies conducted many years ago that did not materialize into an operating line. One of those were supposed to be along Gen. Santos Avenue in Taguig, which could have extended to C6. Another is a line that could have run along C.P. Garcia Avenue and Katipunan Avenue, connecting Line 7 at Commonwealth Ave. with Line 2 at Aurora Blvd.
There’s still something worth studying and refining here as the AGT is a product of local R&D. However, there must be a commitment among researchers and the DOST on the way forward. There should also be some kind of buy-in from government agencies especially DOTr to support this development.
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Article share: What Is Good Transit?
Here’s an article share on transit and what should be the attributes of a good transit system:
Source: What Is Good Transit?
To derive the main points from the article:
- Good transit is frequent
- Good transit is reliable
- Good transit is (reasonably) fast
- Good transit feels safe
- Good transit is equitable by nature
This is a good read whether you’re a regular commuter taking public transportation or perhaps one looking into topics for research or advocacy.
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Railways construction progress in Luzon
I’m currently attending the Philippine Railway Conference. The presentations so far have been informative especially about the progress of rail projects in the country. Most if not all of these projects are in Luzon, which includes Metro Manila. Here are the progress of work as shown in the photos of the slides I took during the plenary sessions this morning.
Based on the presentations, these railways currently under construction will be ready or partially operational by 2027. What do you think about the progress of work?
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Looking back on Philippine railway history
The Philippine Railway Conference 2025 is coming up soon. I am very glad to see a lot of people interested in rail – from the technical people running our railways to those involved in planning and management to the advocates and enthusiasts. Rail was not so “fashionable” or “glamorous” (to use these words liberally) many years ago. Perhaps people traveling and experiencing rail in countries where it has persevered and evolved plus social media have changed this – and for the better. Sharing here some papers that were the outcomes of an interdisciplinary research program led by the Third World Studies Center of UP. Rail, after all, is not just about the technical but also the social and human aspects of the mode.
The website for the Emerging Inter Disciplinary Research (EIDR) program supported by the UP System is still up and hosted by the Third World Studies Center. I think it’s something worth a Phase 2. The program leader, Dr. Ricardo Jose, is now retired from UP but is a Professor Emeritus of UP so he can still be engaged. Nevertheless, there are many at UP and other higher education institutions who can be involved in a program that should have a more expanded coverage. There were railways, after all, in other parts the country including Panay, Negros, Cebu and Mindanao.
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Aerial photo of the MRT7 depot?
I took this photo of what appears to be the MRT7 depot near or adjacent to the La Mesa reservoir. It was as quick a photo as our plane was banking into the clouds.
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An aerial view of the PNR’s rail revival
I would just like to share a few photos I took while our plane was turning towards our Bicol destination upon take off from NAIA.
I will again pose the following questions to my readers: will the NSCR become the game changer it’s supposed to be for both long distance travel and commuting (super commuting for some cases)? Will it decongest McArthur Highway and NLEX? Will there be a significant shift from car use to rail? Or will those taking road-based public transport be the ones mainly shifting to rail?
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Caught (up) in traffic 