Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) refuted Friday news reports that 50 of its operators have left the country to work in Singapore, saying that only nine train operators resigned this year.
LRT and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Spokesperson Hernando T. Cabrera in a text message sent to INQUIRER.net said that nine train operators left the country for Singapore this year.
Cabrera, in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, revealed that LRT 1 train operators are “in-demand” abroad because they can operate first, second, and third generation trains.
LRT train operators are contractual employees and receive P18,000 to P20,000 basic pay per month plus other benefits.
According to Cabrera, Singaporean train operators are paid twice the LRT train operator’s basic salary and receive housing benefits.
The LRT and MRT spokesperson also assured the public that the LRT has a pool of train operators which could fill up the vacancies.
He also added that there are 188 LRT Line 1 drivers and 83 LRT Line 2 train drivers.
“Hindi tayo mawawalan. Lagi tayong may minemaintain na [training] pool. So kapag may nawawala, may immediately tayong mapagkukunan,” said Cabrera.
(We will not be out train operators. We always maintain a [training] pool. So if someone resigns, we will have an immediate replacement.)
Cabrera said that the transfer of train operators to other countries does not happen every year and happens only if a new train system opens abroad.
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