The Philippine Development Plan (PDP), the blueprint for social and economic development for the next six years, prioritizes mass transport, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Specifically, the plan calls for developing railways, road-based, and ferry systems in metropolitan areas.
The roll-out of the planned rail infrastructure projects will be pursued "aggressively", the DOTr maintained.
Railways will be expanded from north to south, and from east to west, connecting growth nodes and strategic infrastructure.
Inter-city rails will be built in metropolitan regions across the country, and policies will be espoused to ensure availability of highly specialized spare parts and supplies.
Furthermore, the PDP plans to adopt bus rapid transit systems to enhance the efficient use of public transport vehicles and road spaces which are already in place.
As an alternative sustainable transport mode, existing ferry systems will be upgraded and other coastal and inland waterways transport systems will be established to improve the connectivity of ports to the national transport system.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved the 2023-2028 PDP last month.