Mega Cebu, in partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau 7 (DENR-EMB 7) started the Metro Cebu Traffic Administration Certificate Course Training on Monday, April 2, at the Golden Prince Hotel & Suites.
The training was conducted with the assistance of the University of the Philippines – National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS). The 5-day training course, which will run until Friday, targets traffic administrators and managers as well as city and municipal planners from Metro Cebu LGUs, national government agencies, and representatives from transport groups and the private sector.
The purpose of the Traffic Administration Course is to orient participants on the principles and rationale of transportation planning and traffic engineering and management. Lectures and workshops were designed to enhance the understanding of the topics covered during the lectures and case discussions. This will give the trainees a chance to practice basic transportation planning and traffic management skills and demonstrate their competence to provide possible solutions to traffic-related problems.
Eight experts and lecturers primarily from the UP NCTS headed by UP NCTS Director Dr. Ma. Sheilah G. Napalang and former Undersecretary of Department of Transportation and Communications (currently DoTr) Dr. Primitivo C. Cal were tapped for the course.
The training is part of Mega Cebu’s ongoing initiative to establish the Metro Cebu Traffic Enforcers Academy, which aims to standardize the functions and the competencies of a Traffic Enforcer, which will be a first in the Philippines. The Subcommittee on Transport and Traffic Management of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board Research, Program and Organizational took on complying with two strategic requirements.
First is the institutionalization of the academy through the help of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Central Visayas. Second is the competency development of the first batch of MCTEA trainers before taking the Trainers Methodology 1 of TESDA.
Attendance in the training by UP NCTS is part of the pre-qualification criteria to be part of the first batch of MCTEA trainers who will take TESDA’s trainers methodology training.
Governor Hilario Davide III, Chairperson of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB), emphasized in his welcome remarks the importance of standardizing traffic policies and synchronizing the traffic laws in Metro Cebu to address the worsening problem on traffic.
On the other hand, DENR EMB 7 Director William Cuñado said in his welcome speech that with the implementation of better traffic management, the pollution of the metropolitan area will be minimized since traffic congestion occurrence will be decreased thru proactive enforcement of mitigating measures.
Dr. Sheila Napalang, on her part, shared that the traffic situation in the urban areas will be alleviated if only the road users are kind to each other, meaning the drivers are disciplined and courteous to each other and the pedestrians obey the pedestrian traffic rules and regulations at all times. (Press Release)
