Cebu setting up AI-engined transport
Development of this project shows our commitment to maintain the pace of our infrastructure modernization program
The government recently received financial backing for an intelligent transport system (ITS), following the Philippines and the United States' (US) agreement for a technical assistance grant of $683,053.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the ITS is expected to improve the transportation system in the Cebu metropolitan area and will fall under the government's ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program.
"The development of this project shows our commitment to maintain the pace of our infrastructure modernization program to hasten our economic recovery," Dominguez said during a virtual forum.
Enoh Ebong, acting director of the US Trade and Development Agency or USTDA said that the grant won't only help address traffic congestion but likewise reduce vehicle emissions and energy consumption.
The USTDA will provide the technical aid for the project, examining the technical, fiscal, environmental and other key aspects of the ITS' implementation in Metro Cebu.
The technical assistance was aimed for implementation from April 2021 to December 2022.
Low carbon emission
In a separate development, the Department of Finance (DoF) revealed a higher commitment in terms of reducing its carbon emissions, following President Rodrigo Duterte's approval.
Considered as the country's maiden nationally determined contribution (NDC), greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was aimed to be reduced by 75 percent come 2030.
"The NDC will be our tool to upgrade our economy by adopting modern and low carbon technologies and approaches that would help mitigate the climate crisis and make our economy more resilient and our growth sustainable," Dominguez said.
According to the DoF, bulk or 72.29 percent of the 75 percent target will be classified as conditional or contingent upon the support of climate finance, technologies and capacity development to be provided by developed countries while the remaining 2.71 percent will be unconditional or to be implemented primarily through local resources.
The latest target fares higher compared to the previous 70 percent GHG reduction in 2015 and the first to have an unconditional commitment in the target.
"We expect that developed nations, which historically caused the global climate crisis, will deliver their commitments to the Paris Agreement with the right speed and scale to keep global average temperature from breaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius survival threshold," Dominguez explained.
"The critical time between now and 2030 gives us a window of opportunity for transformative climate action to ensure planetary well-being before it is too late," he added.