Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan (Facebook)

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s plan to retrofit the existing rail line between Laguna and Albay for cargo services will greatly benefit farmers and traders.

In a statement on Friday, July 19, Yamsuan said that the proposed project would significantly bring down logistic costs for Bicolano farmers supplying vegetables and other agricultural products to Metro Manila. 

“Bicol farmers and traders will immensely benefit from this project. Rail transportation is cheaper and more efficient than trucking services in moving large volumes of cargo over long distances, which, in turn, will help reduce costs for those supplying goods from Bicol to Metro Manila and vice versa,” he explained.

Yamsuan said the establishment of an efficient rail transport would also stimulate increased activities between Laguna and Albay, especially the former where several industrial parks are located.

“These developments would help reinvigorate Bicol’s economy and create more jobs in the region,” he continued.

In an ideal situation, lower logistics costs would translate into higher incomes for farmers and traders. Customers may expect lower food prices as a result, he said.

A study conducted by blueFocus Infrastructure Advisors showed that traders pay at least $5,300 or about P300,000 to deliver an imported container from one place to another in the Philippines.

The study also found that trucking services and warehouse fees account for as high as 25 percent of logistics costs. 

Yamsuan, a long-time advocate for the revival of the Bicol Express railway, said the DOTr’s plan to retrofit the Laguna-Albay line for freight use would be a “good start in pursuing the renaissance” of the once-famed rail line.

Earlier, DOTr Undersecretary Jeremy Regino said the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is transferring its train fleet to existing lines in the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) corridor and the Bicol Region in order to operate cargo trains between Calamba, Laguna and Legazpi, Albay by next year. 

The agency is planning to operate one freight trip per day in the evening to avoid disrupting commuter services in the Laguna-Albay line. 

The construction of a dry port in Calamba, Laguna is being considered, wherein containers can be carried in and out of freight trains.

Based on initial estimates, at least P5 billion is needed to develop the project.

Yamsuan said he would support this undertaking when it is presented before lawmakers in the House of Representatives in the upcoming deliberations on the proposed 2025 national budget.   

While there is still no clear funding source, the lawmaker said it would be better if the Laguna-Albay rail line is still utilized for commercial use.

“Bukod sa mas mura ito sa paghahahatid ng mga produkto mula Bicol hanggang Laguna at  Metro Manila at pabalik, mas mabilis pa ito dahil tiyak na hindi made-delay ang tren ng matinding trapik na karaniwang nangyayari kapag trak at dyip ang ginagamit,” he noted. 

(Apart from being cheaper to transport products from Bicol to Laguna and Metro Manila, it would also be faster because trains would never be delayed by heavy traffic that is often experienced when using trucks and jeepneys.) 

The Bicol solon also reminded the PNR to ensure that the retrofitted trains for cargo services are equipped with the proper equipment to ensure that the transported goods would not be prone to spoilage. 

“Many of the products transported from Bicol’s provinces to Metro Manila are perishable goods, such as vegetables, fruits, and other food crops,” he shared.