Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson Secretary Datu Hj. Abul Khayr Alonto disclosed on Wednesday that the projected Mindanao Railway System construction will generate more than 100,000 jobs, 80 percent of which will be available for Filipinos.
Alonto said that in his recent meeting with Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Sylvestre Bello III, they had addressed the labor issues on the project which is set to be constructed as soon as the feasibility study will be completed.
“20 percent will be Chinese because of the high technical requirements of the job,” said Alonto.
“For every position of highly-technical job, the deputy will be a Filipino so that the transfer of technology will be initiated,” he added.
Alonto assured that an economic revolution will take place under the Duterte administration.
The MinDa chief also disclosed that the Chinese railway company hired by the Chinese government to construct their own railway system will be the one to provide the technical requirements in the construction of the MRS.
However, even though the government is keen on China due to their advanced technologies and expertise on railways, he said that the government is still open for other countries to invest.
He also expressed his hopes that the MRS will be completed within the term of the President since the construction of each segment is seen to be conducted simultaneously.
“If we do it by segment, it will take 17 years but if we do it for example package one, package two, package three all at the same time, we can finish it for four years,” said Alonto.
Mindanao Railway System is one of the priority infrastructure projects under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The project is deemed crucial to economic development in the region. The railway system is 1500-km project which is expected to connect major cities such as Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, Davao, and General Santos.
