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Successful 32nd TSSP Annual Conference
The 32nd Annual Conference of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines (TSSP) was a success. A total of 16 papers were presented at 4 technical sessions while the main sponsor GIZ facilitated the practical session on e-mobility. While most participants came from Cagayan State University (CSU), there were many from Metro Manila and Mindanao (Iligan and Zamboanga cities).
Closing group photo – this was taken after the concluding program for the conference. Instead of forming at the stage, our photographers asked us to be seated instead.
This year’s conference committee was chaired by Dr. Daniel Mabazza of UP Diliman’s College of Social Science and Philosophy (Department of Geography). From L-R: Dr. Dan Mabazza, Dr. Marloe Sundo (UPLB-CEAT-DCE), Dr. Sheilah Gaabucayan-Napalang (UPD-SURP), Ms. Alorna Abao (UPD-NCTS), Dr. Sandy Gaspay (UPD-COE-ICE), Dr. Danielle Guillen (UPD-AIT), Dr. Karl Vergel (UPD-COE-ICE), Dr. Regin Regidor (UPD-COE-ICE) and Dr. Noriel Tiglao (UPD-NCPAG).
There was no formal announcement for next year’s conference though as TSSP is still considering the schedule in relation to next year’s EASTS Conference to be held in Adelaide, Australia sometime in September 2027. A strong candidate host though is Naga City, which already has an active core group for transportation based in the Bicol State College of Advanced Science and Technology (BISCAST). Of course, the LGU itself is ably led by its current Mayor Leni Robredo. I will post an update on this soon as I get some firm info from the society, which is currently also being supported by GIZ. GIZ, incidentally, also has an engagement with Naga City so the timing seems perfect for the next conference to be held there. Naga City is well known for its academic institutions including the Ateneo de Naga and University of Nueva Caceres. Naga, of course, is in Region 5 (Bicol) and there are certainly a lot of universities and colleges there including Bicol University and UST-Legazpi (Aquinas University) and many other SUCs and private HEI’s that probably have students and faculty doing transportation studies.
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5th Workshop for Young Researchers (WYRe) at TSSP 2026
We successfully held the 5th Workshop for Young Researchers or WYRe today. The workshop was held at the Claude Andrews Convention Center at the Cagayan State University Andrews campus.
There were 2 talks – 1 on the importance of doing research and another on how to get published. These were followed by workshops on abstract writing, and outline drafting.
WYRe was inspired by a similar workshop conducted by the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) back in 2017 to help young researchers including graduate students and early career researchers and academics develop skills particularly for proposal drafting and publication of their outputs.
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TSSP 2026 Conference Program
I reproduce below the conference program of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines:
There is actually a pre-conference activity in the Workshop for Young Researchers (WYRe) also organized by TSSP. However, the workshop is by advance registration and limited considering it is for young researchers that include graduate students and young professionals embarking on research work.
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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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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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Drones for road safety assessments
We recently started a research collaboration with a Belgian university where we will be using drones to conduct a more comprehensive survey around schools. The drones will be able to capture wider areas where conflicts can be identified; ultimately allowing us to determine solutions for various situations in schools zones.
We had scheduled many activities last week but the weather did not cooperate. And so we had to improvise. That meant some indoor training on using the drone.
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Second Call for Papers for TSSP 2026
The Second Call for Papers for the Transportation Science Society’s 32nd Annual Conference is out. I am sharing here the call for those who may want to present or publish their papers, or perhaps participate by attending the conference. This year, the conference will be hosted by Cagayan State University in Tuguegarao City. CSU currently conducts research on electric vehicles; particularly on electric tricycles and charging stations. This is a collaboration with UP Diliman’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (EEEI). The projects are supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The paper template can be obtained by scanning the QR code provided.
CSU follows last year’s hosting by UPLB of the 31st Annual Conference. Previous host universities aside from UP Diliman were Xavier University (Cagayan de Oro), University of San Jose-Recoletos (Cebu City) and UP Visayas (Iloilo City).
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On the dangers of drowsy driving
Here’s another quick share of an article on road safety. This one is about drowsy driving, which is said to be more dangerous than drunk driving. Drowsy here is equated to being sleepy – for whatever reasons may have led the driver to be drowsy. Perhaps lack of sleep, fatigue or being simply tired, or maybe due to food or medication he/she took before driving.
Here is the link to the article, which has a link to the report referred to in the article:
https://www.ghsa.org/news/drowsy-driving-new-data-analysis
From the article:
“…several strategies to combat this dangerous behavior:
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Start with prevention: Promoting healthy sleep habits for everyone – especially for teens as they begin their driving journey – is essential. Drivers should practice good “sleep hygiene,” which includes sleeping in a quiet, cool, device-free environment and avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed.
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Vehicle technology that’s available now: Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features can monitor for telltale signs of drowsiness (like yawns or long blinks) and issue visual, auditory or haptic alerts to tell drivers to take a break. Notably, none of the current systems prevent a driver from ignoring them and continuing to drive, or from turning them off entirely.
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Change the culture at work and school: Employers should implement responsible scheduling and travel policies to minimize fatigue. School districts can consider shifting high school start times later in the day to help teens get more rest. One study of high school student drivers found significantly lower crash rates with a later school start time.
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Build more, smarter infrastructure: Infrastructure changes such as rest stops, rumble strips and cable median barriers can help prevent drowsy driving, wake drivers up or reduce the severity of a run-off-the-road crash.”
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On at-grade crossings and footbridges
Here’s a quick share of an article on how at-grade crossings are generally better and preferred over footbridges:
When Footbridges Cost Lives and At-Grade Crossings Save Them
The article effectively articulates the case for at-grade crossings and presents the facts and references in support of these crossings. I will only add here that context is still important along with an appreciation or understanding of the volume of traffic and occupancy of vehicles along the roads. Commonwealth Avenue, for example, requires footbridges but there should be better designs for these footbridges than the current ones along this highway. I think we lack good designs that we can refer to and this leads to a summary dismissal of footbridges where they are actually most suitable.
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