Investment banker Francis Yuseco has submitted a proposal to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to combine high-speed passenger rail (capable of 300–400 km/h) with Philtrak’s patented road train technology for cargo transport.
Developed in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philtrak’s system is designed to move agricultural and fishery products directly from farms and ports to urban markets. This initiative aims to remove the seven middlemen groups – including traders, creditors and cartels – that have long taken excessive profits (over 1,000 percent) while keeping produce prices high and farmers impoverished for decades.
The proposed 4,000-kilometer nationwide network covering Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also includes post-harvest facilities such as cold storage, processing plants and modern farming systems. If approved, the project will enable seamless movement of goods across regions, allowing farmers to bypass intermediaries and deliver products directly to consumers. For passengers, the integrated system will cut travel time across the archipelago to less than half a day.
The proposal has already received official endorsement from the former Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, with support from the Office of the President. Coordination teams from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and DOST have been assigned to support the initiative. A discussion meeting between PPP Center leadership and project proponents is scheduled for July 10.
Once operational, the system is planned to operate as an environmentally sustainable network, with minimal traffic, pollution and flood risks, strengthening the country’s food security and economic resilience.
