The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has inked a Memorandum of agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to work together in raising the quality of the country's public transportation systems to be at par with global standards.
According to DOST, the sealed partnership between the two government departments, held at the Electronics Product Development Center (EPDC) of the DOST in Bicutan, Taguig City, signals the beginning of strong collaboration among government agencies to attain synergy in delivering services to the people.
Under the agreement, the DOST and DOTr will establish a testing and validation facility for the Automated Fare Collection System (“AFCS”) National Standards (“NS”) through the Electronics Product Development Center (“EPDC”). This will be managed by the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI). EPDC is the country’s first dedicated government electronics development and one-stop-shop facility that provides design, prototyping, and testing services for the electronics industry.
On the other hand, DOST-ASTI, through EPDC, will administer and conduct all Certification and Validation (“C&V”) tests for Fare Media (“FM”) and Fare Media Validator (“FMV”) at the EPDC Laboratory. Also, DOST-ASTI will permit the DOTr-AFCS Program Office to use the EPDC Laboratory, including all services, and provide sufficient qualified personnel needed to conduct the testing and certification procedures as stipulated under this agreement.
For its part, the DOTr will be responsible for the administration and oversight of all services related to the C&V following DOTr’s NS and in developing the relevant Operations Manuals, Guidelines for FM and FMV. Also, the DOTr is tasked to procure the needed equipment including hardware, software, and accessories as well as provide training that is necessary to operate the needed test requirements.
“The proposed collaborative efforts and the provision of support between our agencies are envisioned to be productive and supportive of the industry. With the signing of this MoA, we would like to reiterate our gratitude to DOTr for trusting the technical expertise of researchers and scientists here at DOST, especially at our EPDC,” said DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr.
Solidum assured that the establishment of this testing facility for the AFCS National Standards is just one of the many partnership efforts of the EPDC to meet its mission of providing design, manufacturing, and test expertise to research programs, small and medium-sized companies, and government agencies.
“We believe that we need to conform to global standards in terms of everything that we do. I think this is the only way for us to improve our transportation system. When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. invited me to join the government. I told him that we will elevate the transport system to global standards,” said DOTr Secretary Jaime J. Bautista.
Sec. Bautista believes that this project will allow the riding public to use several options of payment technology when they take any mode of public transportation in the country just like those in some countries in Asia and Southeast Asia. He also assured everyone that this will not be the only time to collaborate with the DOST, especially if it is for the good of many Filipinos.
Meanwhile, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette B. Aquino explained that this MoA has two essential components.
First, she shared that it seeks to establish a laboratory testing facility at DOST’s EPDC that houses state-of-the-art testing equipment for those who intend to be qualified as market players and future participants of AFCS. She considers the EPDC facility an excellent choice as its mandate aligns with the needs of the DOTr in testing hardware and software for electronic products relevant to the AFCS ecosystem.
She also said that this partnership spells out the boundaries of mutual collaboration of the parties in the dispensation of their roles and responsibilities in connection with the C&V of FM and FMV for the AFCS sector.
“Given the paramount objective of MoA and transforming our public transport system, it can be said that this collaboration is timely in support of the aggressive plan of the government under the “Build Better More” program which seeks to improve the welfare of commuters through the provision of excellent quality public transport service delivery which will be obtained through the certification of testing and selection of qualified participants,” said Aquino.
She added that the partnership between the DOST and DOTr, "will be shown through this MoA is a pure showcase of meaningful collaboration and improving and advancing the welfare of all stakeholders for the AFCS in the country.”