MANILA – A local manufacturer on Monday said it needed the support of government to tap a new technology that would allow the wireless charging of electric jeepneys.

“Meron din po tayong bagong teknolohiya na atin pong natutunan doon sa ibang bansa tulad ng sa America na inuuwi po natin dito sa Pilipinas…bagong teknolohiya po ‘to na ang ating electric jeepney ay hindi na po kailangang i-plug para i-charge, so wireless na po yung charging,” said Elmer Francisco, owner of Francisco Motors.

(We have new technology we learned from America that we are bringing back to the Philippines, it allows jeepneys to charge without being plugged into an outlet.)

With the new technology, the jeepneys can be charged even while they’re running, he told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

“Pwede pa rin po isaksak, pero meron po tayo teknoilohiya na maski gumagalaw yung jeepney o tumatakbo eh nagcha-charge na rin po siya. So maaaring pong hindi na siya i-garahe para mag-charge. So walang down time pag ganoon,” he explained.

(You can plug them in, but that's optional. It can charge even while running, so there's no down time for the jeepneys.)

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Francisco said they have met with officials from the Department of Transportation to see how government could help with production of the modern electric jeepneys.

“Humihingi po tayo ng suporta galing sa ating gobyerno upang ating ma-mass produce dito sa Pilipinas yung bagong teknolohiya,” he said.

(We are asking for government support so we can mass produce this new technology.)

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Francisco also said they are set to meet with the Department of Trade and Industry to seek its help next week. He said the agency has a program to help local manufacturers with the jeepney modernization program.

“Bakit natin papalitan ng minibus ang tunay na jeepney? Ang jeepney po eh parte na po ng atin kultura pati kasaysayan na hindi dapat mawala pero kailangan nating i-modernize, hindi po natin maikakaila yan. Kailangan po natin i-modernize pero hindi po natin kailangan palitan ng ibang type ng sasakyan,” he said.

“Ang modernization program, dapat ang makikinabang, eh mga manggagawang Pilipino,” he added.

(Why would we replace jeepneys with minibuses? Jeeps are part of our culture and history--they need to be modernized. We can't deny that, but they don't need replacing. The modernization program should benefit Filipinos.)

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--TeleRadyo, 27 March 2023