Neal H. Cruz’s Feb. 10 column, “South Korea offered to revive our railroad,” has struck some nostalgic feeling for the so-called “Bicol Express” Manila-Legazpi train service among Bicolanos.
I used to take the Philippine National Railroad (PNR) service from Legazpi City to Manila and vice versa in the late 1950s until 1978. Many Bicolanos preferred the train service, which was considered one of the safest modes of transportation.
After Edsa Revolution in 1986, the government announced that billions of pesos were to be made available for the repair of the damaged railroad tracks in the Bicol region and in Quezon province and for the purchase of new railroad coaches. Sadly the planned rehabilitation of the PNR service gave in to negligence and corruption. Today the railway system between Bicol and Manila is as good as dead.
Our Bicolano leaders who have been holding top positions in government since 1986 just turn a blind eye on the need to revive or improve the Manila-Bicol train service that will surely benefit poor Bicolano commuters. As it turns out, the government is prioritizing the improvement of the highway networks connecting Metro Manila and north Luzon. And the train system to and from the Bicol region in the south is sadly being left behind and neglected. Not only that, there is a need to decongest the south Luzon highways of cargo trucks that bring goods to the Bicol region.
—MARK E. PARAS JR.,
publisher/editor, Sorsogon Today,
sorsogontoday@gmail.com