Duterte creates Philippine Railways Institute

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the creation of the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) which will serve as the research and training center for employees of public railways.

In his Executive Order No. 96 dated Nov. 21, Duterte established the PRI under the Department of Transportation as the “planning, implementing and regulatory agency for human resources development in the railways’ sector.”

In creating PRI, the President cited the “urgent need to develop the human resource capacities of railways personnel to ensure their availability and competence and guarantee their compliance with generally accepted standards of practice, as well as the rules and regulations pertaining to the safety, operation, and maintenance of railways.”

The institute will have the functions of “developing, formulating and recommending plans, programs, standards, and guidelines pertaining to the development of personnel in the railways sector.”

It will be headed by an Executive Director, with a rank of Undersecretary, and will consist of divisions on training, certification and accreditation, and research and development.

The initial funding for the PRI will be sourced from the available funds of the DOTr.

“Appropriations for the succeeding years shall be incorporated in the annual budget proposal of the DOTr,” the EO stated.

Edited by MUF