The future of the jeepney is assured if…

That July 6 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Ormoc City (it was a 5.0 here in Cebu City) has inflicted more damage than we expected. That’s due to the fact that the Tongonan Geothermal Plant of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) was so close to the epicenter, the plant has yet to be restarted. This is not to mention the numerous problems suffered by power lines and transformers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, which is why we are still suffering from rolling brownouts.

EDC officials already revealed that due to the problem of their transformers, they couldn’t supply power in Leyte and Bohol. However they promised to deliver 40 MW from the Tongonan plant by July 19. But 40 MW is only 14 percent of the total of 291 MW that both islands require. In the meantime, 32 MW power barges from Phinma Energy have been tapped to handle this emergency power situation. Bohol, too, had to get its own power supply from a diesel power plant within the island.

In the meantime, Leyte suffers from many aftershocks and thus a state of calamity has been declared over the entire island of Leyte. Leyte apparently has a long fault line traversing the entire island. So the big question is, are these earthquakes a precursor to the so-called “Big One?” I’m sure that even Phivolcs can’t answer that question. What is crystal clear to me is that the NGCP transmission lines are not earthquake-proof. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake isn’t even considered a big one, yet the power lines are down!

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Yesterday I wrote about the future of the jeepney in this country where we reported that the Duterte administration has embarked on a new program dubbed the P2.2-billion Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, which could affect 200,000 jeepneys all over the country. So we asked the poignant question whether our jeepney drivers would embrace this program for change. If there is anything that has changed little in the last 70 years, it is the venerable jeepney…although it is a far cry from the original MacArthur jeep that the American troops left behind after World War II. But the main concept has remained; especially it’s rear-loading entry/exit.

Call it an uncanny coincidence that last Wednesday evening, ANC interviewed officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), for the topic: “What will the future Filipino jeepney look like?” The ANC discussion apparently focused on that proposed public utility vehicle modernization program, which smacks also what I discussed in my column yesterday.

The DTI official apparently pointed out that they will gather feedback on the designs until August 15 and will submit them to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The DOTr plans to roll out the program this month and will decide on the manufacturing of the PUVs. So in a way it is not yet a done deal. However listening to their discussions gave me an idea that if all these ideas are implemented, then we shall see a better design for the future of the jeepney, regardless of whether we would have a Bus Rapid Transit or a Light Rail Transit because there will always be roads that would still be serviced by the jeepney.

Among the officials that ANC interviewed was Mr. Henry Co, governor of the Board of Investments. Mr. Co clearly pointed out, “It is not the design per se, it is the design standards of the new jeepney. One example of that is the jeepney that we have today. Pagpasok mo, you have to stoop down, (because) the ceiling height is low. The new standard will be 175 cm, that means when you go in, you can stand up, like a mini bus. The new design standards will be safer because they feature side doors and front-facing seats with safety belts for each passenger. “Today it’s rear entrance, the new standards, it has to be side entrance. Wala nang sabit,”

The observation of the BOI Governor is entirely correct. When I had the chance to create a “stairless jeepney” we designed one that is side loading, which means jeepneys have to stop along the sidewalk for its passengers to get in or get out. If they do this, the future of the jeepney is assured!

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