CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) --"We will transform the four transport sectors — roads, railways, aviation and maritime — by elevating them to global standards. Our initiatives address the multiple challenges hounding the transport sector including direct economic congestion cost, high logistics cost and issues in tourism and road safety, just to name a few."

Thus, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said, as he joined the Clark's Ascent to Regional Hub: A Forum on Infrastructure for Growth held Friday, 20 October 2023.

Bautista cited the transport department's various infrastructure projects, programs, and initiatives, while emphasizing these endeavors' position to support the administration’s 8-point socio-economic agenda.

"Today, we handle more than 160 projects, inclusive of the 73 IFPs across the project development lifecycle. There are approximately 28 projects under the aviation sector, 26 under maritime, 59 under railways and 47 under roads," Bautista said.

"We are also implementing non-specific thematic initiatives that are all-encompassing across the four sectors. Included in the existing 20 thematic initiatives are reducing logistics cost, create transport jobs, transport safety and security, carbon neutrality, disaster resilience, gender equality, disability and social inclusion, among others. Other critical initiatives that we now regard as advocacies are digitalization, electric vehicles, institutional strengthening and rightsizing, and more," Bautista added.

Other officials present in the event, which was spearheaded by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) were CDC President and CEO Agnes Devanadera, Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) Corporation CEO Noel Manankil, Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) CEO Arrey Perez, Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) officers, and CDC Board of Directors. (dotr/pia-ncr)