Course, FTFebruary 2, 2023

By Israel A. Radiaganding

In compliance with Executive Order 96, series of 2019, and to ensure that personnel working in the railway systems’ operations and maintenance (O&M) have the required competencies, the Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) developed the Fundamental Training (FT) Course Weekend Program for new and potential railway O&M personnel. The said training course was designed to accommodate trainees who are available only during weekends.  

The pilot run of the FT  Course weekend classes started on February 26 and will run until  October 15 to complete the 240 – 320 hours of the training course’s competency requirements.  The sessions are conducted from 9:00 A.M.  to 4:00 P.M.  every Saturday and Sunday. Forty (40) trainees, including new hires from railway operators (ROs), graduating college students, returning OFWs, and other qualified   participants, are set to obtain certificates in the respective specializations  they have chosen and are deemed qualified to work in. 

The nine (9) specializations in the FT Course are as follows:

1. Commercial Train Driving (CTD)

2. Fare and Ticketing Management (FTM)

3. Passenger Management (PM)

4. Tracks and Guideways Maintenance (TGM)

5. Buildings and Facilities Maintenance (BFM)

6. Signaling and Communications Maintenance (SCM)

7. Power Supply and Distribution Maintenance (PSDM)

8. Rolling Stock Maintenance (RSM)

9. Non-Commercial Train Driving (NCTD)

Qualified trainees from ROs and third-party service providers must comply with the following minimum qualifications:

1. Newly hired personnel with no direct work experience in railway O&M; or

2. Newly hired personnel with less than six months of direct railway O&M experience (hired from December 2020 onwards).

The FT Course Weekend Program also expanded its reach to non-RO  related participants but are interested to pursue a career in the railway sector. The target trainees are the following:

  1. Graduating students under Engineering Programs and Non-Engineering Programs
  2. Returning OFWs
  3. Other eligible persons who want to work in the railway sector