ZAMBOANGA CITY—A lawmaker has said he supports the move of the other members of the Mindanao bloc in Congress in pushing for the establishment of the Mindanao Railway System.
District 1 Rep. Celso Lobregat said the rail system would be vital to the economic movement of Mindanao.
Lobregat said it should be pushed to make easier the transportation and movement of people as well as goods from one region to another.
“As you can see, in our city alone, if you want to go to Cagayan de Oro you still have to fly to Manila or Cebu just to reach your destination. Or else, you ride a bus or use your car for a long-range drive. It’s very hard,” Lobregat stressed.
He said the proposal to establish a railway system is long overdue but has lacked substantial support from the national government and has been excluded from its development plan.
“This is why the project remains in the offing.”
Lobregat said farmers in Mindanao complain that their products are damaged due to lack of proper transport and shipping system in the region.
He said landlocked agricultural areas with no access to ports or cargo-loading airports will greatly benefit from the railway system project.
He said President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has included in his political agenda the establishment of a 200-kilometer railway system, which will be among his economic priorities, stressing the P75-billion project will ensure low-cost food supply not only for Mindanaoans, but for the entire country as well.
