Abstract:

Despite of the health and environmental hazards that three-wheelers (tricycles) bring, most cities in the Philippines continue to experience increase in tricycle population due to high unemployment and absence of alternative livelihood among others. What compounds the tricycle issue is the low-income level of tricycle drivers. With a daily net income of between $2-$3, this leaves the tricycle drivers little interest to maintain their vehicles to reduce air or noise emissions.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) extended a technical assistance through its Poverty and Environment Program (PEP) to the City Government of Puerto Princesa (CGPP) to pilot and demonstrate air and noise pollution reduction strategies in the sub-sector through the Tricycle sa Kabuhayan at Ekolohiya (TRIKE) Project. The Project activities include: (1) a preventive maintenance program; (2) an engine technician vocational program; (3) capacity building to strengthen CGPP’s capacities in effectively implementing the Clean Air Act (CAA); (4) a livelihood development program to provide livelihood trainings; and (5) establishment of a TRIKE Fund to provide financing assistance to tricycle drivers in the purchase and application of cleaner technologies, as well as in the development of alternative livelihood activities.

The benefits derived by the tricycle drivers from the preventive maintenance trainings, involvement to alternative livelihood activities and access to TRIKE Fund will be assessed upon the Project completion. Experiences and lessons acquired during the Project implementation will be documented and disseminated to local, national and international agencies to serve as a guide for possible replication of similar programs in the future.

Presentation: http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/docs/SW16_3.ppt