Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CIEN 3463
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
Assignment No.1
Analysis of the Philippine Transportation System

Orias, Joshua James V.

BSCE 5-1
2012-06402-MN-0

ANALYSIS OF THE PHILIPPINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

1. LAND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

a. HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Roads. As of 2011, the countrys road system comprised about
215,000 km, of which about 15% were classified as national roads,
thereby falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH). The remaining 85% of the network is defined as
local roads and falls under the jurisdiction of a variety of local government

units. As of November 2011, 79% of national roads and only 18% of local
roads were paved with either asphalt or concrete. The percentage of
national roads that are paved has risen only slowly from 71% in 2001 and
remains well below the governments original target of 95% by 2010. Of
the 31,400 km of national roads in the system, only about 45% (14,200
km) were assessed as being in good or fair condition in November 2011.
This figure is lower than the percentages in 1982 (about 52%) and 2001
(about 47%). For local roads, the 2009 figure was much lower, at about
20% (about 35,300 km of 176,300 km). Annual investment in the road
system has remained at about 0.6% of gross domestic product (GDP),
which is much lower than the comparable figure for most other countries
in Southeast Asia. As a result, efforts to upgrade or expand the network
have been limited. The extent of the road network in the Philippines, when
measured in terms of road km per square km, road km per capita, and
road km per dollar of GDP per capita, is comparable with or better than
many neighboring developing member countries. However, when the
quality of the road system is consideredboth in terms of the percentage
of paved roads and the percentage of roads in good or fair conditionthe
Philippines lags well behind nearly all of its regional neighbors and
competitors.
The major cause of the overall low quality of the road network is poor
and inadequate maintenance. This is the result of (i) insufficient financial
resources being made available for maintenance, and (ii) inadequate
institutional capacity of agencies responsible for road maintenance. The
high prevalence of overloading of trucks also contributes to the low quality
of the network. Axle-load surveys conducted by the DPWH in 2005 showed
that 11%12% of all trucks were overloaded. Lax enforcement of axle-load
regulations compounds this problem. In addition to the low quality of the
road network, the poor state of repair of much of the vehicle fleet and
inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations are also major contributors
to the unsatisfactory status of road transport in the Philippines. The poor
quality of the road network is a contributing factor to the rising number of
road accidents. There were 14,794 recorded road accidents in 2008, a
28% increase from 2007. Deaths from road accidents in the first half of
2009 reached 624, which was 9% more than in the equivalent period in
2008. These figures may underestimate the severity of the road accident
problem, because in counting road accident deaths the Philippines uses a
definition of death as occurring within 24 hours of a road accident,
whereas the internationally accepted definition is death occurring within
30 days of an accident. In addition, it is estimated that only about 10% of
road accidents are officially reported, although these are likely to include
many of the most serious accidents. In 2005, the national cost of road
accidents in the Philippines was estimated at $1.9 billion, equivalent to
2.8% of the countrys GDP. According to the Department of Health, in 2008
road accidents became the fourth leading cause of death in the
Philippines.
The government has developed a network of tolled expressways in
central Luzon to address transport constraints on economic development

by (i) linking the major economic and transport centers in Metro Manila
and adjacent provinces, from Tarlac in the north to Batangas in the south;
and (ii) facilitating multimodal transport. The expressway network,
developed through publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) and with bilateral
development assistance, links industrial parks and special economic
zones, the ports at Subic and Batangas, and Diosdado Macapagal
International Airport in Pampanga. While the development of this network
has reduced travel times significantly, additional efforts to increase port
capacity and improve management are necessary to realize fully the
benefits of an integrated multimodal transport system.
b. RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Railways. The railway system consists of light rail transit (LRT) lines in
Metro Manila and heavy rail lines in Luzon. The three LRT lines
commenced operations in 1984, 1999, and 2003. Two lines are owned and
operated by a government-owned corporation, the Light Rail Transit
Authority (LRTA), while the third was financed and constructed by a
private corporation, the Metro Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), and is
operated by the government under a buildleasetransfer agreement.
The lines operated by the LRTA carry about 579,000 passengers each day,
while the MRTC line carries more than 400,000 passengers daily. Fare
structures are distance based, and fare levels are low relative to
comparable systems elsewhere in the region. One reason that fares can
be set at these low levels is that the debt of the government-owned and
controlled corporations is serviced by annual allocations in the
government budget, which has the effect of subsidizing the operations of
the light rail systems. Overall load factors on the LRT lines exceed 60%
and overcrowding is common at peak periods. The government is reported
to be considering transferring the operations of the MRTC to the LRTA.
A further LRT line has been approved for development and others are
under consideration for development through PPP.
A limited number of heavy rail commuter services are operated by the
Philippine National Railways (PNR), serving areas to the south of Metro
Manila. The PNR carried 9.1 million passengers in 2010 and 15.4 million in
2011. The increase in ridership is attributed to the completion of the
rehabilitation of the Caloocan to Alabang section of the commuter line and
the introduction of new rolling stock, both financed by bilateral
development assistance.
Other than these commuter services and some other services linking
towns in the Bicol region, the heavy rail lines in the Philippines have been
essentially nonoperational for several years. The Southern Line linking
Manila to the Bicol region has not operated since it sustained typhoon
damage in 2006, although the line has now been restored and trial
services have been operated between Naga City and Metro Manila. Before
its closure in 2006, passenger traffic on this line had been declining
steadily and freight traffic was negligible. The Northern Line has been
nonoperational for more than 25 years, although there are plans to reopen

it
under
the
Northrail
Project.
Source:
http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutionaldocument/33700/files/philippines-transport-assessment.pdf

2. WATER TRANSPORT SYSTEM

a. PORTS AND HARBORS

Interisland water transport is a very important subsector of the
national transport system. There are about 1,300 ports, of which about
1,000 are government-owned and the rest are privately owned and
managed. Of the government-owned ports, about 140 fall under the
jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Cebu Ports
Authority; the remainder are the responsibility of other government
agencies or local government units. International cargo and container
traffic has grown steadily in recent years, supported by significant
investments in the port of Batangas by the PPA and in the port of Subic by
the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Despite growth in both the economy
and the population, passenger traffic on domestic interisland shipping
services fell by about 13% between 2003 and 2008. Freight traffic on
interisland shipping services has not grown in line with the economy and
now stands at about the same volume as in the mid-1990s. Source:
http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutionaldocument/33700/files/philippines-transport-assessment.pdf
b. WATERWAYS
River Basins
The Philippines has 412 principal river basins in 119 proclaimed
watersheds. Of these, 19 are considered major river basins. The longest
river is the Cagayan in Region II. Other important rivers in Luzon include
the Agno and Pampanga, crossing the plains of Central Luzon; the Pasig, a
commercially important artery flowing through the center of Metro Manila,
providing the main drainage outlet for most of the waterways; and the
Bicol, the primary river of Region V. the principal river of Mindanao is the
Rio Grande de Mindanao, which receives the waters of the Pulangi and the
Agusan.
The Pasig River which passes through the center of Metro Manila and
serves as its major waterway, has become seriously polluted over time.
Through the rehabilitation effort of the Government the Water quality of
the Pasig River showed improvement over the last 5 years which include
the following:

Improvement of the DO levels from 1998 to 2001 in nearly all stations;

Increasing number of stations is passing ambient WQ criteria;
Improvement of the BOD levels from the 1998 to 2001 in nearly all
stations;
Odor of the river is reduced; and

BOD load (from domestic sewage, solid waste, and commercial; and
industrial liquid wastes) and floating solid wastes have been reduced
which shows the importance of solid waste as a source.
Source:
http://www.wepadb.net/policies/state/philippines/riverbasins.htm

Sea Areas

Bays and Coastal Waters cover an area of 266,000 km, while

oceanic waters cover 1,934,000 km. The total length of the coastline is
36,289 km. the Philippine coastline is irregular, with numerous bays, gulfs,
and islets. Manila Bay, a sheltered harbor, is the countrys busiest
commercial hub. About 60 percent of Philippine municipalities and cities
are coastal, with 10 of the largest cities located along the coast. These
coastal cities and municipalities are inhabited by about 60 percent of the
total population. Manila Bay is an important economic resource with
competing uses. The surrounding catchment area covers about 17,000
km and is home to an estimated 16 million people. The largest harbor in
the country is located in Manila Bay with primary port services catering to
both national and international maritime traffic. Increasing urbanization
has damaged the coastal habitats and estuaries, which serve as spawning
grounds
of
many
economically
important
fishes.
Source:
http://www.wepa-db.net/policies/state/philippines/seaareas.htm

Enclosed Water Bodies

Lakes occupy 1,830 square kilometers (0.61 percent of total

area).There is no updated inventory of the lakes at present, but a recent
study has placed the number of lakes at 72. The largest lake is the Laguna
de Bay, which encompasses two regions: Metro Manila and Region IV with
an area of 922 km.

Lake Taal, 56km south of Manila, occupies a huge volcanic crater and
contains an island that is itself a volcano, with its own crater lake.
Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao, which is a major source of
hydropower.
Source: Philippine Environment Monitor 2003

Laguna Lake, Laguna de Bay is one of the largest lakes in Southeast

Asia and the largest and one of the most vital inland bodies of water in
the Philippines. Pre-Hispanic Filipinos called the lake, Lawa ng Bai
(pronounced as ba-ee), meaning Mother Lake. With Spanish
colonization, the name became Laguna de Bay or Lake of Bay.

It spans some 90,000 hectares, with around 100 rivers and streams
draining into it. It is cradled by a watershed area of 292,000 hectares
encompassing the whole of 2 provinces and parts of Metro Manila,
Batangas, Cavite and Quezon all in all, 12 cities and 49 municipalities.
This area spans 2,656 barangays, 187 of which are within lakeshore
towns. It is bound by the province of Rizal to the North. It is the heart of
CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), one of the fastest
growing economic zones in the country today. It answers to the competing
and, often times, conflicting needs and demands of a watershed
population of some 6 million (NSO 2000). It is host to some 10,000 small-,
medium- and large-scale enterprises. In August 2001, Laguna de Bay was
unanimously accepted as the 18th member of the International Living
Lakes Network. Laguna de Bay is estimate to receive approximately
74,300 tons per year of BOD pollution. Domestic sources contribute 69
percent while the remaining 31 percent is from industrial and agricultural
sources. Additionally, with the sedimentation rate of 0.5 centimeters per
year, an estimated 66 percent of the land area in the watershed is
vulnerable
to
erosion.
Source:
http://www.wepadb.net/policies/state/philippines/enclosed.htm
c. SHIPPING LINES

A total of 116 vessels had been registered in the Philippines as of

March 2014, according to the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina). Of the
total, 53 are bulk carriers, 23 general cargo vessels, 10 tankers, eight
livestock carriers, six car carriers, five container ships, four wood chip
carriers, four multipurpose carriers, one roll-on/roll-off, one dry cargo ship,

and one chip carrier. Marina said that among its goals for 2013 to 2016 is
to make the Philippine ship registry an attractive, quality, and strong
sovereign flag of choice for ship owners, and ensure that by 2016 the
domestic fleet is modern and regionally competitive with higher safety
standards. The authoritys recently released data also showed that as of
August last year, 401 companies engaged in overseas shipping services
are accredited as required under Marina Memorandum Circular No. 186.

Late last 2014, Marina called for a stakeholders meeting regarding its
plan to amend and expand the coverage of MC No. 186 so that it includes
the accreditation of sea freight forwarders by the agency. Under
Presidential Decree No. 474, or the Maritime Industry Decree of 1947,
Marina should have general jurisdiction over sea freight forwarding as well
as other maritime services. But currently, seafreight forwarders are under
the supervision of the Department of Trade and Industry Fair Trade and
Enforcement Bureau. The sector has long sought a transfer to Marina.
As for the domestic fleet inventory, Marinas latest available data
showed there are 9,574 local vessels as of December 31, 2013. Of the
total, 5,734 are passenger vessels, 2,813 are containers, 245 are tankers,
534 are tugboats, and the rest are yachts, special-purpose ships, and
other types. Asian Shipping Corp. which rents out landing craft tanks,
tugs and barges is the top domestic shipping company in gross register
tonnage (GRT), with 125,995.23 GRT. Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp.
(formerly Sulpicio Lines) follows with 116,578.05 GRT, and 2GO Group, Inc.
comes in third with 86,965.03 GRT.
Completing the top 10 list are Asian Marine Transport Corp. (74,793.60
GRT), SMC Shipping and Lighterage Corp. (62,406.94 GRT), Oceanic
Container Lines, Inc. (55,138 GRT), Solid Shipping Lines, Corp. (48,840.51
GRT), Carlos A. Gothong Lines, Inc. (42,295.53 GRT), Lorenzo Shipping
Corp. (40,025 GRT), and Negros Navigation Co., Inc. (29,961.66 GRT).
However, in vessel fleet, RBL Fishing Corp., which specializes in
commercial fishing as well as processing of fish products, is currently on
top with a fleet of 106 vessels. It is followed by Asian Shipping with 101
vessels, then by Irma Fishing and Trading, Inc. with 96 ships. Most of those
on the list of top 50 domestic shipping enterprises in terms of vessel fleet
are fishing companies or those engaged in tugs, lighterage, and LCTs.
Meanwhile, the maritime authority listed 238 companies engaged in
ship building and ship repair (SBSR) as of August 2014.
Of the total, 150 are registered within Metro Manila and the northern part
of Luzon, while the rest are located in Batangas, Legaspi, Iloilo, Cebu,
Zamboanga,
Cagayan,
Davao,
and
General
Santos.
Source:
http://www.portcalls.com/marina-releases-updated-ph-shipregistry/#

3. AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

a. AIRPORTS AND RUNWAYS
Air transport. There are 215 airports in the Philippines, of which 84 are
government-owned and controlled and the rest are privately owned and
operated. Of the government-controlled airports, 10 are designated as
international airports, 15 are Principal Class 1 airports, 19 are Principal
Class 2 airports, and 40 are community airports. The busiest airport in the
Philippines is Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, which
handled 435,486 aircraft movements and an estimated 29.6 million
passengers in 2011. Mactan International Airport in Cebu is the secondbusiest airport in the country with 82,554 aircraft movements and 6.3
million passengers in 2011.
Domestic passenger traffic at NAIA has been growing at almost 10%
per annum since 2000. The growth of domestic freight traffic has been
much less at about 2.4% per annum. Given the growth of both
international and domestic air traffic through NAIA in recent years, serious
capacity constraints are likely to emerge before long. To address this, the
government has plans to further develop Diosdado Macapagal
International Airport, formerly Clark International Airport, as an alternative
international gateway serving central Luzon. These plans will need to be
closely coordinated with those for the development of NAIA, and they will
need to include consideration of appropriate land transport connections
between Diosdado Macapagal International Airport and Metro Manila.
The government has intensified efforts under way since 1992 to
liberalize air transport. In particular, it has been promoting the
development of secondary international gateways through negotiating
bilateral pocket open skies agreements pertaining to secondary airports
in the Philippines. These agreements now cover all secondary
international gateways in the country and have led to substantial
increases
in
travel
through
these
airports.
Source:
http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutionaldocument/33700/files/philippines-transport-assessment.pdf
b. AIRLINES
Prior to the second liberalization of the Philippine airline industry in
1995, state-owned Philippine Airlines enjoyed virtual monopoly with the
country's adopted policy of "one country, one airline" imposed during the
administration of President Ferdinand Marcos. The government's subsidy
in the form of mail freight payments supported the company's massive
expansion program in the 1960s. During the 1970s, the government
ordered the absorption by Philippine Air Lines, Inc. of two other privately
owned airlines; Air Manila and Filipinas Orient Airways - to form Philippine
Airlines as the single flag carrier of the Republic of the Philippines.

This list of airlines enumerates local airlines in the Philippines which

have a current air operator's certificate issued by the Civil Aviation
Authority.

COMMERCIAL AIRLINES:

Airline

Image

Callsign

Commenced

ICAO

IATA

AirAsia Philippines

APG

PQ

COOL RED

2012

Angeles City

Cebu Pacific

CEB

5J

CEBU

1996

Pasay City

PAL Express

PAL

2P

PHILIPPINE

1996

Pasay City

operations

Headquarters

Airline

Image

Commenced

ICAO

IATA

Philippine Airlines

PAL

PR

PHILIPPINE

1941

Pasay City

SkyJet

MSJ

M8

MAGNUM AIR

2012

Pasay City

Cebgo

SRQ

DG

BLUEJAY

1995

Pasay City

T6

ITI

2002

Pasay City

AirSWIFT formerly ITI Air

Callsign

Headquarters

operations

CHARTER AIRLINES

Airline

Aero Majestic Airways

ICAO

IATA

Callsign

Commenced
operations

AMA

Air Link International Airways

Air Republiq Airlines

Republiq

Aviatour Air

Paradise Air

DJ

2011

Airline

ICAO

IATA

INAEC / Iloilo-Negros Air Express

Interisland Airlines

Callsign

INAEC

ISN

I4

Commenced
operations

1933

TRI-BIRD

Lionair

Mosphil Aero

MPI

Pacificair

2006

PACIFIC PEARL

2006

GX

Pacific Pearl Airways

SkyJet

PPM

5M

South Phoenix Airlines

Subic Seaplane

MOSPHIL

CARGO AIRLINES

2012

AIR REPUBLIQ

2010

Airline

ICAO

Pacific East Asia Cargo Airlines

PEC

IATA

Commenced

Callsign

Q8

operations

PAC-EAST CARGO

2005
TransGlobal Airways

TCU

TRANSGLOBAL

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_the_Philippines

Rail, Water, Land and Air Transportation Statistics

2003-2012
Item
Motor Vehicles
Private
Cars
Utility vehicles

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

5,530,052

5,891,272

6,220,433

6,634,855

7,138,942

7,463,393

4,558,727

4,908,332

5,216,646

5,631,377

6,096,423

6,417,809

700,384

713,175

732,659

759,683

788,372

808,968

1,534,634

1,535,003

1,609,698

1,707,705

1,764,865

1,821,527

Buses

6,696

6,184

7,045

7,753

8,769

5,653

Trucks

255,522

269,367

281,282

288,427

298,789

308,644

2,039,850

2,360,304

2,559,997

2,841,646

3,206,255

3,440,777

Trailers

21,641

24,299

25,965

26,163

29,373

32,240

For hire

887,023

899,211

931,048

934,176

970,946

969,784

37,648

35,342

39,812

41,787

33,131

36,426

Motorcycle/
Tricycles

Cars
Utility vehicles

215,585

215,929

217,967

217,338

229,330

220,114

Buses

23,142

23,032

25,519

26,566

25,262

27,298

Trucks

16,919

17,941

21,435

21,373

21,786

23,867

591,254

604,238

623,663

624,078

658,466

658,675

2,475

2,729

2,652

3,034

2,971

3,404

Motorcycle/
Tricycles
Trailers

Government
Cars
Utility vehicles

70,528

73,307

68,230

65,060

67,324

72,204

6,798

6,591

3,684

3,355

3,326

3,653

38,406

39,586

37,910

36,660

37,959

39,900

Buses

275

487

442

590

403

613

Trucks

8,687

8,813

8,779

7,974

8,734

8,994

16,159

17,754

17,301

16,415

16,728

17,230

Motorcycle/
Tricycles
Trailers

203

76

114

66

174

1,814

2,406

4,884

3,902

3,591

3,597

3,060

11,368

5,538

607

651

652

536

157,437,721

141,594,797

Domestic

74,591,279

71,758,150

Foreign

82,846,442

69,836,647

44,468,927

43,870,914

43,872,565

Disembarking

21,943,930

21,516,761

21,723,679

26,851,004

25,384,389

25,217,885

Embarking

22,524,997

22,354,153

22,148,886

25,850,641

24,430,906

24,267,116

Diplomatic
Exempt
Total Cargo
Throughput (in
metric tons)

Transit Cargo

Total Passenger
Traffic

150,473,286

166,395,680

177,997,069

198,926,883

72,514,651

69,714,085

73,849,537

75,805,477

77,958,635

96,579,523

104,106,100

117,908,829

41,432

5,212,577

102,072

52,701,645

49,815,295

49,485,001

Metro Rail Transit (Metrostar)

Total Number of
Passengers (in
million)

142.8

149.5

151.9

153.0

159.8

174.5

1,724.4

1,845.0

1,874.0

1,904.2

1,956.7

2,136.6

118.6

138.1

149.4

155.9

156.9

170.7

1,707.7

1,962.5

2,111.2

2,228.2

2,286.6

2,514.0

52.9

58.6

62.1

63.4

63.8

70.3

749.4

815.7

838.3

857.2

856.8

943.0

85

85

85

118

118

118

International Airport

10

10

10

Principal Airport Class

1

15

15

15

Principal Airport Class

2

19

19

19

Community Airport

40

40

41

Revenues (in million

pesos)
Light Rail Transit
Total Number of
Passengers (in
million)
Gross Revenue
Collection (in million
pesos)

Megatren (LRT Line 2/Purple Line)*

Total Number of
Passengers (in
million)
Gross Revenue
Collection (in million
pesos)
No. of Registered
Airports
National
Private

1
2

Includes tricycles.
Total for Metro Manila Rail Commuter Light Rail Transit and Megatren (No data for Megatren in 2002 only).

Sources: 1. Rail Transport: Department of Transportation and Communication

2. Land Transport: Land Transportation Office
3. Water Transport: Philippine Ports Authority
4. Air Transport: Philippine Air Lines
Updated As of 01 September 2014

Source: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_trans.asp

URBAN TRANSPORT
The Philippines is experiencing rapid urbanization, and by 2030, about 77% of
the population will live in urban areas. There are 120 cities in the country, including
16 in Metro Manila, which is the only metropolitan area in the Philippines. Other
major urban agglomerations exist, including in Davao, Cebu, and Iloilo, but they lack
formal metropolitan organizations. Transport systems in these cities are almost
entirely road based, with the exception of Metro Manila. Transport services consist
mainly of jeepneys (public utility vehicles), taxis, tricycles, and pedicabs that are
privately owned and operated. In 2010, taxis comprised 667,424 (35%) of the
1.9 million vehicles in Metro Manila, and half of the 6.6 million vehicles in the
country were motorcycles. Motorcycle users are vulnerable to road crashes and
contribute significantly to traffic congestion.
In Metro Manila, the urban transport infrastructure consists of a network of
roads and railways. A functional classification system of roads has been established
with the arterial roads forming a radial circumferential pattern of 10 radial roads and
5 circumferential roads. Two circumferential roads are incomplete and a sixth is in
the planning stage. While some of the principal road corridors in Metro Manila have
high capacities, traffic volumes are also extremely high. As a result, the movement
of people, goods, and services is becoming increasingly difficult. Although
restrictions on vehicle usage are in place, their effectiveness is decreasing as rates
of motorization increase; consequently, congestion in Metro Manila is increasing
rapidly and is estimated to cause economic losses equivalent to about 4.6% of GDP.
While congestion in urban areas outside of Metro Manila is less severe, increasing
urban populations combined with higher rates of motorization suggest that traffic
congestion in those urban areas will worsen in the near future.
As in other urban areas, road-based public transport in Metro Manila is
provided entirely by the private sector. There are an estimated 433 bus companies

operating 805 routes. The majority of bus companies own more than 10 units, with
only 7 bus companies owning 100 units or more. Jeepneys serve 785 routes in Metro
Manila, with many jeepney operators owning only one unit. In addition to jeepneys,
air-conditioned Asian utility vehicles provide express services in several areas of
Metro Manila, together with taxis and localized modes of transport such as tricycles
and pedicabs. Tricycles and pedicabs are restricted to serving local areas and
provide a feeder service to the larger-scale public transport services.
Source: http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutionaldocument/33700/files/philippines-transport-assessment.pdf