The Good Trip Show

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar signed in September 2020 Department Order no. 88 (s.2020) "PRESCRIBING GUIDELINES ON THE DESIGN OF BICYCLE FACILITIES ALONG NATIONAL ROADS".  This requires the inclusion of bicycle lanes in future roads and bridges.

Sec Villar had earlier cited the 6.8-km protected bike lane of Laguna Lake Expressway as model for future highways.  This was followed by bike lanes in the Cagayan de Oro Coastal Road, Davao City Coastal Road, Leyte Tide Embankment Project, Pasig Marikina Flood Control Project, Tagaytay Bypass Road, and Boracay Circumferential Road.

Noong 2017, dalawang certified millenials ang nagkuwento ng karanasan nila sa pagtayo ng Waido Corporation.  Sila ay sina Gen Tiu (born 1984) at kapatid na si Johann (born 1986).  Pakinggan natin ang kanilang kuwento.

In the EDSA Decongestion Masterplan to be completed by 2022 under the DPWH, led by secretary Mark Villar,  every city in Metro Manila can be reached in as short as 20 minutes to as long as 30 minutes.  It will free up major thoroughfares by at least 120,000 vehicles.

The program involves construction and repair of 14 roads and expressways spanning 121,850 meters costing P180.6 billion, and 11 bridges worth P42 billion spanning 9,348 meters.

Build, Build, Build Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo tells us the details of these projects (as of November 2020).

More than 2 years after it was launched, the PUV Modernization Program only managed to deploy 4,000 modern jeepneys and approved 17,000 units for loan application (as of July 2019) out of the estimated 180,000 units targetted (15+ years old jeepneys) to be replaced by June 2020.  The government decided to extend the program indefinitely and doubled the financial subsidy to attract more transport cooperatives to join the program

On July 19 2018, twenty-five (25) units of brand new modern jeepneys were delivered to the Taguig Transport Service Cooperative and Pateros-Fort Bonifacio Tranport Service Cooperative as part of the government's Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program, launched in the previous year.  Receiving the units in behalf of the cooperative members were Mr. Freddie Hernandez, Chairman of Taguig TSC, and Mr. Nonito Sinamban, Chairman of Pateros-Fort Bonifacio TSC.  The two cooperatives of jeepney drivers and operators were among the first pre-selected cooperatives to embrace the Modernization Plan.  Pateros-Fort Bonifacio TSC has a total of 137 approved units by Hino Philippines, and 279 approved units for Taguig TSC.  The units will ply the routes of Gate 3 Fort Bonifacio to Guadalupe Market and Bagumbayan-Taguig to Pasig.  The 2 gentlemen joined me on live radio and shared their thoughts on their journey to modernization. (July 2018)

A brief description of the show in 30 seconds

In 2018, Mel Enguerra set the record of most number of provinces visited in 69 days.  Here is his story from our interview with Mel after he came back from his record-setting trip.

"I started my journey from Km. 0 then went to Km 744 in Gattaran, the highest kilometer marker in Luzon; rode a boat to Batanes; then traveled to find Km 2111 the highest kilometer marker but its under a landslide yet, found Km 2108 instead in Sirawai; rode another boat fo Tawitawi; proceeded to climb 3,146m, the highest mountain in our country, to reach the summit of Mt Apo; then went back to the place where I started at Km 0; a total of 11,625km traveled in 69 days." -Rommel Enguerra - motorcycle enthusiast

The shortage of public transport compounded by the traffic congestion has given rise to the demand for the services of habal-habal in the metro, now popularly referred to as motorcycle taxi.  Current laws of the Phils prohibit the use of motorcycles as for-hire vehicles.  There is now a growing public clamor to amend the laws, or craft a new law, for the legalization of the motorcycle taxi.

In the absence of a new law, the operation of motorcycle taxi is limited only under the MC Taxi Pilot Test being conducted by the Dept of Transportation by the order of the Phil. Congress for the purpose of studying the feasibility of using motorcycles are for-hire vehicles.