THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced Saturday that at least 7,000 job opportunities were offered during the construction of the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) Malolos, Bulacan to Clark, Pampanga segment or the PNR Clark Phase 2 project.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said that the massive project—which has an overall progress rate of 32 percent as of July 2021—will generate around 3,000 more job opportunities once it becomes operational.
Tugade assured that the North-South Commuter Railway’s (NSCR) Malolos to Pampanga line will provide employment benefits for locals especially Filipinos affected by the COVID-19 pandemic such as former Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and transport workers.
“I have been stressing this and I want to make sure that under the Build, Build, Build, we shall prioritize the employment of former OFWs and transport workers to guarantee the inclusivity of this project,” DOTr Undersecretary for Finance Giovanni Lopez said on behalf of Tugade.
The official further noted that more than 25,000 direct job opportunities will be available during the construction of the whole NSCR line, while 10,000 jobs will be opened to the public.
Along with the Japanese government’s acknowledgement are messages from the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa, recognizing the launch of the project amid a global crisis.
“This project is also one of the prime examples of JICA-ADB partnership for financing quality infrastructure. We are amazed by the fast and continuous progress of the project amidst the pandemic,” Azukizawa remarked.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Kelly Bird, meanwhile, asserted that the project will help revive the economy of the Philippines particularly the involved regions.
“This project is going to be incredibly important to the economic recovery and particularly in this region. So, you can imagine you got a lot of employment that’s being created, a lot of supply contracts – so this is the direct effects. And then there’s the indirect effects – the second round of effects – the creating of new income opportunities for the region,” Bird stated.
As part of the massive 147-km NSCR line, the PNR Clark Phase 2 will have 35 stations with 464 operated train cars and 58 eight-car train sets configuration.
It features the country’s first-ever airport railway express which—as the DOTr claimed—will boost both the country’s economic and employment growth.