Cayetano urges DOTr to integrate train system with commercial spaces

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday pushed for the integration of commercial spaces with train stations to make trains economically feasible in the country.

Citing a lack of a railway system that is economically advantageous, the senator made the proposal during the plenary debate of the 2024 budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on November 13, 2023.

"We haven't found a good economic model ng trains so much so na panay utang [tayo] sa Japan at China (to build our train systems)," he told DOTr officials present on Monday night.

"Kasi kung maganda ang model ng trains natin at economically feasible business-wise, dapat our biggest businessmen ay nag-uunahan na magpropose ng mga train," he said.

"I'd like the DOTr to take this as a mission to find a way to make trains economically feasible whether in advertising revenue or real estate component," he added.

Cayetano said a big factor that makes the train systems in Hong Kong and Japan is the ownership of real estate by the train management.

"One of those that are making money is MTR (Mass Transit Railway) in Hong Kong because they own the real estate. The other one that is break-even or earning is the Japanese. When you go to Japan, y'ung pinaka-ordinaryong overhead na train ay may kainan sa ilalim o may bentahan ng mga old records, et cetera. Then y'ung magandang Central Station is a real mall," he said.

Cayetano said this is not the case in the Philippines, where mall owners have to "lobby to have a train connection" rather than it being a "part of the plan... to bid it out to one of them or for the train corporation to own it."

The senator asked the DOTr officials if they could make this possible in the Philippines especially since it would mean government can lower the subsidy given to train passengers.

In response, Senator Grace Poe, who is the sponsor of the DOTr budget in the Senate, relayed to the chamber that DOTr is looking into the matter as 11 stations are currently identified to have a mixed-use development and would be accessible to the train passengers.

In response, Cayetano expressed confidence in the DOTr on the matter.

"I appreciate the work that you are doing. Let us just do whatever we can do with the present contracts para lang lumiit ang subsidy. And for future plans for example light railway, I'd like to see DOTr be creative and think like a business person," he said.

Cayetano, hinikayat ang DOTr na pag-isahin ang pagbuo ng commercial spaces sa sistema ng tren

Nais ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano na pag-isahin ang pagbuo ng mga commercial spaces sa mga istasyon ng tren upang maging praktikal at mapagkakakitaan ng gobyerno ang train system sa bansa.

Ipinanukala ito ng senador sa plenary debate ng 2024 budget ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) noong November 13, 2023.

"We haven't found a good economic model ng trains so much so na panay utang [tayo] sa Japan at China (to build our train systems)," wika ni Cayetano sa mga DOTr official na nasa Senado.

"Kasi kung maganda ang model ng trains natin at economically feasible business-wise, dapat our biggest businessmen ay nag-uunahan na magpropose ng mga train," sabi ng senador.

"I'd like the DOTr to take this as a mission to find a way to make trains economically feasible whether in advertising revenue or real estate component," dagdag niya.

Sabi ni Cayetano, naging maunlad ng mga train system sa Hong Kong at Japan dahil ang train management ang nagmamay-ari ng real estate ng mga istasyon.

"One of those that are making money is MTR (Mass Transit Railway) in Hong Kong because they own the real estate. The other one that is break-even or earning is the Japanese. When you go to Japan, y'ung pinaka-ordinaryong overhead na train ay may kainan sa ilalim o may bentahan ng mga old records, et cetera. Then y'ung magandang Central Station is a real mall," aniya.

Wika niya, baligtad ang sitwasyon sa Pilipinas kung saan kinakailangan pa ng mga may-ari ng mall na mag-lobby para magkaroon sila ng koneksyon sa tren.

Dapat aniya, i-bid out ito sa kanila o kaya'y gawing may-ari ng mga istasyon ang train corporation.

Hiniling ng senador sa DOTr officials na gawin ito sa bansa lalo na't makatutulong ito upang mapaliit ng gobyerno ang subsidiyang kasalukuyang ibibinigay nito sa mga pasahero.

Ayon kay Senador Grace Poe, na siyang sponsor ng DOTr budget sa Senado, tinitingnan na ng DOTr ang planong ito. Aniya, labing-isang istasyon na ang natukoy na may mixed-use development.

Nagpahayag naman si Cayetano ng tiwala sa DOTr sa usaping ito.

"I appreciate the work that you are doing. Let us just do whatever we can do with the present contracts para lang lumiit ang subsidy. And for future plans for example light railway, I'd like to see DOTr be creative and think like a business person," sabi niya.