Labor, safety issues mar PNR suspension

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — After over a month of suspending operations, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) conducted a test run of the commuter line from stations Tutuban to Buendia Friday morning (June 19).

The PNR was originally scheduled to resume partial operations on Monday (June 15), but was unable to make the deadline because it hasn’t received a certificate of safety from third-party consultant TÜV Rheinland.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya previously said that 80% of the recommendations by TÜV Rheinland have been met, but added that the PNR will only resume operations when it gets the go signal from the consultancy firm.

PNR Union President Edgar Bilayon, however, is protesting the delay of operations.

Aside from causing inconvenience to commuters, the extended suspension also cost the PNR workers’ jobs.

According to Bilayon, nearly 300 contractual workers were laid off for more than a month.

He added that operations should resume based on a certificate issued by the rail system’s Engineering Department and not TÜV Rheinland.

“The Engineering Department has already issued a certification stating that the PNR may resume operations and this should be the basis for reopening the commuter system because it is the Engineering Department that is responsible for carrying out maintenance at repair for all trains,” Bilayon explained in Filipino.

PNR General Manager Joseph Allan Dilay, on the other hand, said that the PNR management will wait for certification from TÜV Rheinland. The management expects to resume operations before the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Chair of the Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, also joined the test run.

The senator sponsored the law extending the corporate life of the national railway for another 50 years and is now seeking to consult local government units on the accumulation of garbage on the railways, as well as the issue of informal settlers living beside the PNR tracks.

“From my experience, relocation is a difficult task. Where will you transfer the people? Do we have the funds for relocation? And even if there is funding, there are some people who just don’t make relocation easy — they refuse to follow instructions.”

“It’s a very difficult job that we have to do. But the problem with garbage will be a bit easier to resolve,” said Villar, who suggested tapping a volunteer group to help maintain cleanliness along PNR tracks.

The PNR temporarily closed after one of its trains was derailed last April 29. Officials suspected that the derailment was caused by missing and stolen rail parts. –Alyosha J. Robillos, CNN Philippines