News and Events

Two years ago, Puerto Princesa City was fortunate to receive assistance form the Poverty Environment Program of the ADB in pilot testing selected strategies to reduce air and noise pollution from the tricycle sector. We all know that compared with other programs in the Philippines, the pilot test which today is better known as the Tricycle sa Kabuhayan at Ekolohiya or TRIKE, has relatively limited resources. And yet, we look beyond the limitations and took the challenge by committing ourselves to make the most out of it. We focused our eyes on the dream of having a better environment, as well as a livelihood that will not compromise the welfare of our fellowmen.

Although it took time for us to get things done, we eventually reached our goal. Now, we can brag not only in the Philippines but to the entire Asia-Pacific region that even with little resources, so much can be achieved as long as all concerned sectors work together for the common good.

• We have trained at least 480 out of 4,000 tricycle drivers and operators to do regular engine maintenance, who are now helping their respective drivers to do the same. With this initiative, we received the support of the entire tricycle sub-sector and a resolution has been adopted promoting the practice of regular engine clean-up.
• We were able to send at least 25 scholars to engine servicing vocational program and they are all now licensed engine mechanics, class B who were among the first to earn such accreditation.
• We have established a TRIKE Fund amounting to about P8Mn and served at least 700 borrowers in a year’s time.
• We have conducted about 8 livelihood trainings on vegetable gardening, hog and goat raising, as well as meat and fish processing.
• We have trained our City ENRO officials and initiated the conduct of ambient air monitoring, as well as tailpipe emission testing. They are now deputized agents of Land Transportation Office (LTO) to do roadside apprehension.

Yet the Project was not exempted from challenges and bottlenecks. After all, it is a pilot test and others ought to learn from our experiences and the lessons we have learned from it. But as some people say: “there are no failures in life, only lessons learned.” These lessons have given us enough wisdom to continue with our journey and make this Project more successful.

We still need to establish and strengthen the capacity of the City government in monitoring the ambient air and noise quality for us to have solid basis that we are indeed improving the environmental conditions in the City. Similarly, we still need to capacitate and empower the tricycle operators’ drivers’ association or TODAs and their members towards better livelihood.

As for the administration and management of the TRIKE Fund, we are grateful to have the Negros Women for Tomorrow’s Foundation (NWTF) as our partner in this micro-credit venture. They have been generous in sharing their skills and in training our new Fund manager as well as the loan officers. From now on, the CGPP will continue the micro-lending activities under TRIKE Fund with its new TRIKE Office located at the Coliseum. The Fund will continue to be supervised by the CGPP and TODA representatives for transparency and accountability purposes.

We need to continue working together and sustain the success of this Project for the sake of the next generation, to whom we owe a better future.