Press Release
March 29, 2007

ANGARA BATS FOR MINDANAO RAILWAY NETWORK

Cagayan de Oro Senator Edgardo J. Angara today asked the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to prepare the master plan for a Mindanao Railway Network, which would link the remote and underdeveloped areas to the major commercial, trading and educational centers.

The Mindanao Railway Network is an imperative for Mindanao. It should break ground in this decade, said Angara.

Angara said that the rail network would spur the development of underdeveloped regions and further boost the already booming economies of areas such as this city, Davao, Zamboanga City.

The rail network will also speed up the shipment of critical goods, bring students from the barrios into the educational centers at less cost, and lead to the development of commercial centers along the rail networks central terminals and stations.

Immense economic and social opportunities will be opened by the establishment of the rail network, said Angara, a staunch advocate Mindanaos development agenda.

Angara said the rail network would be a welcome complement to the existing road and highways, the seaports and the airports.

He said the trend in all booming areas in the world is multi-modal transport, which means employing all available means of transport and integrating all of these to make sure the movement of people and goods is done at the most competitive cost.

We cannot have an integrated mass transport system for Mindanao unless we fill the void, which is the rail network, said Angara.

During his term as agriculture secretary, Angara also prepared several big agri-business programs for Mindanao, which transport, he said can be done via an efficient rail transport.

He believes that the development of Mindanao agriculturally would ensure enough food supply for the country because Mindanao is the ideal food basket.

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