DA backs farm-to-market railway proposal

DA backs farm-to-market railway proposal | Daily Tribune

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday threw its support to the farm-to-market railway proposed by a consortium that includes AirSpeed of SM Investments Corporation and the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF).

“We see the importance of the FM-DLIB on the logistics side, especially the plan to put food hubs, cold storage facilities, and the provision of post-harvest equipment at the PNR (Philippine National Railways) elevated train system,” DA Assistant Secretary Dannie Atayde, referring to the Farm to Market Digital Logistics Integrated Backbone that was conceptualized with help from the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).

“To be efficient, agricultural products should be put near the transport area to be able to distribute the products directly to the consumers and to help the farmers. We can discuss more and plan it right and we look forward to this,” Atayde said.

FM-DLIB’s main proponent, Philippine Trackway Corp. (Philtrak) headed by its CEO Francis Yuseco, plans to build the railway system together with consortium members Leechiu Property Consultants Inc., Del Monte Motor Works Inc. and DLTB Bus.

The FM-DLIB uses DoST’s electric road train technology at the old, decommissioned Panay Railways Inc. train line.

The proposal is backed by a $5-billion funding pledged by United States-based venture capital Hasdaq Financial Holdings Group.

Yuseco said the mission and vision of FM-DLIB is to ensure that the decommissioned, unsustainable, bankrupt, subsidy-dependent and draining railways, considered patrimonial assets, are reengineered for the best, optimal and widest use for the greatest number of Filipinos.

“Thus, per our MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the 38-year-old decommissioned Panay Railways with our DoST, we will re-engineer the Panay Railways into a powerful Daily Cash Machine. Currently, 90 percent of the Philippine National Railways (PNR), has also been decommissioned for over 30 years,” he said.

The FM-DLIB will be built along the elevated, double-track and electrified train system of the PNR’s existing rail line from Alabang to Calamba.

As the FM-DLIB is seen to benefit farmers for the easy transport of their yields to consumers and markets, Yuseco said farmers and fisherfolks will be able to increase their income by 400 percent, while food prices will decrease by about 40 percent benefiting the majority of the consumers.

Asked when the FM-DLIB will commence construction, Yuseco said in three months.

“(Transportation) Secretary Jaime Bautista, with the ardent support of DA Secretary Francis Tiu-Laurel Jr., supported this and gave a letter to the Public-Private Partnership Center to evaluate the consortium’s proposal. Once the PPP Center is done in its evaluation, it will be endorsed again to the DoTr and we can proceed with it,” Yuseco said.

Earlier, FFF chairman Leonardo Montemayor said Tiu-Laurel vowed to support FM-DLIB, as the project is deemed to help farmers and fishers transport their produce directly to urban markets, thus increasing their incomes and making food more affordable to consumers.