A municipality in the northern Philippines is assessing the use of converted electric tricycles as part of efforts to modernise local transport and promote lower-emission mobility, under a programme supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The DOST regional office in Cagayan Valley has partnered with the local government of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, to explore the integration of Converted Electric Tricycle (C-trike) technology into the town’s transport system.
Officials say the initiative is intended to support greener transport while also considering the livelihoods of drivers who rely on conventional tricycles for income.
DOST Provincial Director Jonathan Nuestro said the agency recently held a strategic exploratory meeting with Bayombong Mayor Tony Bagasao and the municipality’s technical team to discuss how the technology could be incorporated at the local level.
The discussions focused on how electric tricycle conversions could fit within broader plans for developing more sustainable and technology-oriented communities.
Converting existing vehicles
The project is formally titled “Evaluating the Strategic Benefits of Implementing C-Trike Technology to Foster Smart and Sustainable Communities in Region II.”
According to Nuestro, the programme extends beyond Bayombong and also includes the provincial government of Cagayan, as well as the cities of Cauayan and Santiago.
At the centre of the initiative is the C-trike, a locally developed conversion kit designed by the ElectroMobility Research and Development Center of Cagayan State University.
The kit enables existing petrol-powered tricycles, a common form of public transport in many Philippine towns and cities, to be converted into electric-powered vehicles.
Nuestro said the technology is aimed at supporting a shift towards what he described as greener urban mobility in the Cagayan Valley region.
Tricycles, which typically operate on short routes and carry a small number of passengers, form a significant part of local transport networks, particularly in provincial areas.
READ MORE: Philippines explores nuclear technology to tackle plastic pollution
Costs and emissions
According to DOST, the conversion from petrol to electric power can reduce carbon emissions by up to 75%.
Officials said the potential reduction in fuel and maintenance costs could benefit tricycle drivers, many of whom operate on tight margins.
At the same time, the programme is being presented as part of a wider effort to encourage the use of science-based and environmentally oriented transport solutions.
Nuestro said the initiative reflects closer collaboration between research institutions and local government units, with DOST promoting technologies developed in academic settings for practical use in communities.
The involvement of Cagayan State University’s research centre highlights the role of local universities in developing transport-related innovations.
READ NEXT: Rising dark fleet activity observed off Malaysian waters: UANI
Diana Mae Y. Cleto 
Elan Castanares