Manila, Philippines — Mabalacat City College (MCC) participated in the 1st Philippine Railway Conference (PhilRailCon) on 25 October 2023 at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila. This appertained to the institutional agreement with Shijiazhuang Institute of Railway Technology (SIRT) that aimed to facilitate MCC's railway workforce development program.
Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development Engr. Joshua Ken Policarpio represented MCC in this event organized by the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), spearheaded by Executive Director of PRI and DOTr Undersecretary Anneli Lontoc. This brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and academic experts who discussed and collaborated on the latest trends and the future of railway transportation in the Philippines.
The conference, with the theme "Strengthening Railway Institutions to Support Sustainable Operations and Maintenance of Railway Transport System," was also attended by DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista, DOTr representatives, Japan International Cooperation Agency, OC Global, San Miguel Corporation, Tokyo Metro Academy, and other stakeholders. It was also divided into three sub-themes, addressing critical aspects of the railway industry.
The first sub-theme, "Philippine Railway Sector: A Journey Through Time," covered the history of railway systems in the Philippines and Japan, along with future plans for the Philippine railway systems. This included a comparative view of rail lines in China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.
The second sub-theme, "Railway Skills for the Future: A Career in Motion," focused on PRI's role in advancing the country's railway industry. It showcased a state-of-the-art training facility inspired by well-developed railway systems worldwide. The skills framework for the rail sector in the Philippines was presented, and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) expressed its support for advancing the rail sector through higher educational training and studies. The Department of Education (DepEd) also announced the inclusion of rail sector skills in their new agenda, MATATAG. Several institutions and organizations pledged their commitment to support the rail sector's advancement in academia and workforce.
The third sub-theme, "Brain Gain: The Changing Landscape of Railway Employment," explored strategies for attracting, retaining, and improving talent in the railway industry. Insights and future plans for the empowerment of the current and future railway workforce were shared by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and Philippine National Railways.
During the event, Japan-based engineering services company OC Global, exhibited their software that visually tracks the completion of the North-South Commuter Railways, providing a comprehensive overview of ongoing and upcoming work. They are developing a system to integrate the software into a Virtual Reality (VR) application for more visually comprehensive tracking and monitoring.
Towards the end of the conference, PRI unveiled two initiatives: the launch of the Philippine Railsearch Network, an online knowledge resource containing railway industry-related studies and materials produced by academic and research institutions and the announcement of PhilRailCon 2024.
The event emphasized the significant potential for efficient and sustainable transportation in the Philippines through knowledge sharing and networking. MCC’s participation in such events represents its commitment to provide practical training opportunities for its students, contributing to economic progress and development of the city and country.
