The Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) has trained at least 2,867 railway personnel, exceeding 76 percent of its target for basic and fundamental training in 2024.
Based on PRI data, 2,867 out of 3,772 personnel who completed the basic and fundamental training courses comprise 76.01 percent trained operations and management personnel—with a target of 80 percent for 2024.
On the other hand, 361 out of 501 total train drivers or 72.02 percent have completed the refresher training courses.
Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the PRI must ramp up the quality of training of personnel, while adapting to the rapidly changing global railway landscape.
The transport chief emphasized that by equipping railway human resources—operators, engineers, and other personnel—with the latest rail technology, the railway sector can level up passenger experience.
Bautista cited state-of-the-art training simulators granted by the Japanese government to PRI, which signals the digitalization of major rail projects such as MRT-7, North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), Metro Manila Subway and LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
The PRI, established in 2019, is the country’s top research and training center handling research and capacity building for railway personnel.