📌Harolds Evo Hotel
📅 March 10–14, 2025
The University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS) recently concluded the Executive Course on Public Transportation Planning, held from March 10–14, 2025, at Harolds Evo Hotel. The program, an initiative led by LTFRB Chairperson Atty. Teofilo E. Guadiz III, equipped LTFRB executives with strategies to enhance public transport efficiency, sustainability, and commuter-centered service. The training was graced by the presence of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Ramon G. Reyes, Undersecretary for Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure, who expressed the agency’s strong support for continuous learning in the transport sector and underscored the value of evidence-based planning and collaboration.
The course covered the following modules: Fundamental Principles of Public Transport Planning, Traffic Engineering Concepts and Applications, Transportation Data Collection and Management, Public Transportation Planning Considerations, Mobility Management Measures, Public Transport Policy and Governance, and Sustaining Public Transport Service through Monitoring and Evaluation.
Participants joined two practical workshops. The Transportation Data Collection Workshop offered hands-on experience in designing and conducting transport surveys. In the Public Transport System Analysis Workshop at PITX, they assessed system performance by traveling via MRT-3, LRT-1, EDSA Bus Carousel, and city buses. The MRT-3 and EDSA Bus Carousel emerged as the fastest options for reaching PITX, highlighting the effectiveness of integrated public transport services.
As the course concluded, participants were encouraged to apply the insights gained to policymaking and regulatory decisions. UP NCTS extends its appreciation to the LTFRB executives for their commitment to improving public transport. The success of this course was made possible through the guidance and expertise of the program’s resource persons: Dr. Ma. Sheilah G. Napalang, Dr. Jun T. Castro, Engr. Sheila Flor D. Javier, Engr. Aileen U. Mappala, EnP. Jerome N. Ballarta, and Mr. Geoel Anthony Esguerra.
With data-driven strategies and effective governance, the Philippines can build a more efficient, accessible, and sustainable transit system.
